The Night The Ball Dropped
by profdaddy66
Summary: New Years Eve is fast approaching, and the high school is hosting a huge 70s Disco Party to ring in the new year.. When Maya finds out that her workaholic uncle John hasn't been on a date in years, she concocts a matchmaking scheme and enlists the others to help...
1. Chapter 1- A Long Time To Be Alone

**_CHAPTER ONE_**

 _ **"A Long Time To Be Alone"**_

 ** _Tuesday morning._**

Throughout the halls of Abigail Adams High School there are signs plastered on the walls for the upcoming New Years Eve school dance:

 ** _"NEW YEARS EVE NIGHT FEVER! - 6pm-1am IN THE GYMNASIUM -_** ** _PRIZES FOR BADDEST RETRO COSTUMES AND DANCE MOVES!"_**

Riley, Maya, Lucas, Zay, Smackle and Farkle are straggling into Mr. Beckett's Media Studies class when Riley speaks up.

"So, are you guys looking forward to the dance?" asked Riley.

"Oh, sure," said Maya sarcastically, "Dressing up in dinosaur clothes and dancing to dinosaur music? I for one can hardly wait."

"..said the girl in the **Beatles** T-shirt?" added Zay, pointing out the images of the Fab Four on the front of Maya's shirt.

"Personally, I think it's going to be fun." Lucas said.

"Yeah, man," Zay added, "Dressin' up in them old crazy clothes, doin' them funky old dances... I think it's gonna be pretty far out."

Lucas turns to look at Zay, "What old magazines have **you** been looking at?"

"Old magazines?"

Lucas raises an eyebrow at his Texas pal. "'Far out'? Who **says** that anymore?"

"Well, right now, **I** do. Ya dig on what I'm layin' down?"

Lucas rolls his eyes. He can't help but let out a small chuckle as he shakes his head.

"And don't forget, you guys," Maya reminded, "We gotta rehearse."

"Rehearse?" asked Zay.

"Yeah," said Maya, "Lucas, Farkle, Riley and me are going to do something special during the dance."

Lucas had to think for a moment, but then his eyes lit up in remembrance. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that."

"What's this 'something special' you got planned?" asked Zay.

"Well, it's a **secret** , so we can't tell you **too** much." said Lucas.

"Or else we'd have to **kill** ya." added Maya.

" **Kill** me?" asked Zay incredulously.

"With **kindness**." Riley added with a playful evil-eye.

"Euggh," Zay winced at Riley's' words, "There's only so much a man can stand." he quipped.

"I'm with Zay, though," said Farkle, "I think it's fascinating to see how people lived in other times."

"I agree with both of you, Farkle," said Smackle, Farkle's girlfriend. "And when you think about it, the 70s really weren't that much different from today." she added.

"You probably wouldn't say that if you were **there** , Ms. Smackle."

John Beckett, Maya's uncle and the school's new Media Studies and 20th Century History teacher, was already in the classroom as everyone else settled in to their seats.

* * *

A great deal had happened since last summer when John had come for a visit to New York City to try and get a new pair of prosthetic legs. It all started when his niece Maya and brother-in-law Shawn decided to take matters in their own hands and reconcile him to Katy, his long-estranged sister, and from there more and more doors began to fly open for him, not the least of which being his new teaching job, thanks to Cory and Topanga.

The road trip back to Cleveland to move his belongings with help from Katy, Maya, Shawn and all the Matthews was nothing short of a delight. They managed to make a stop in Philadelphia, where Shawn, Cory and Topanga grew up, and John got to meet Cory's parents, Alan and Amy, and his sister Morgan. He also got to meet George Feeny, Cory, Topanga and Shawn's former teacher and mentor, and still the Matthews' neighbor. Feeny had more than a few stories to tell about the three of them when they were younger, especially Cory, which explained all too clearly to John how and why Cory is the way he is today.

John even got a chance to admire the flowers in Feeny's garden, and he briefly got to talk to him alone. He complimented Feeny on his green thumb, and then his eyes noticed one flower in particular, an orchid.

"Brassolaeliocattleya," he quietly said.

"Ahh, I see you have an eye for orchids, Mr. Beckett," said Feeny, "Or are you just a Nero Wolfe fan?"

"A little of both," John admitted, but then leaned toward Feeny and added in a softer tone, "But I look terrible in yellow." The two shared a chuckle.

"Y'know, George, I was just thinking about what you said earlier about how you were a teacher for over fifty years," said John.

"Yes, and you're getting ready to become a teacher yourself," said Feeny as John nods, "Well, I would offer my condolences, but I might be taken too seriously."

"So is there any truth to the old adage that you'll learn more from your students than they learn from you?"

"Ohh, it's not only **true** , Mr. Beckett, it's a **major understatement**." said Feeny, but then he catches himself and adds, "No pun intended, of course." remembering John's military rank.

"No offense taken." said John, "So, you got any advice for a crusty old greenhorn like me who's just starting out in the profession?"

Feeny took a deep breath as he straightened up to his full height, but he was ready with an answer.

"I **do** , actually."

Feeny had John's full attention.

"You would do well to remember why you're there," said Feeny, "Keep in mind the kids you're reaching out to, the impression you can make on them, and the difference that you can make in their lives. And If you can make a difference for just **one** of them, it'll be worth it."

John slowly nodded at Feeny's words. "People change people." he said to himself.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh, it's just something Maya said to me a couple of days ago: People change people."

"Oh, **Maya** said that, did she?"

"Yeah. I think she told me she learned it from **Cory**."

Feeny nodded, " **He** more than likely learned it from **me**."

John chuckled and nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised."

* * *

Once they had finally made it to Cleveland, the first thing they all did was go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. John was pleasantly surprised when he noticed that out of the bunch, Auggie was the most enthralled by the artifacts and history, **and** had the most questions to ask about rock and roll music. Naturally, John couldn't answer **all** of his questions, but he did the best he could. Auggie stood gazing at one particular display: a set of Ringo Starr's drums from when he was with the Beatles.

"Were the Beatles an overnight success, Mr. Beckett?" Auggie asked.

"No, they weren't. Far from it, actually," John replied, "They had been a working band in their native England for years before they made it big there in 1963, and then a year later they invaded America."

"Well, that would explain the 'British Invasion' thing." Auggie said, pointing to a placard that had the words 'British Invasion' in big letters.

John then focused his attention on Maya and Riley who were looking at an old sequined costume adorned with a large cape. John immediately knew who the outfit belonged to.

"James Brown." he said with a smile.

Riley pointed to the sequined letters across the costume's chest. "What does the 'G.F.O.S.' stand for?" she asked.

"God-Father Of Soul," John replied, "That was one of Brown's many nicknames."

" **One** of them?" asked Maya, "What **other** nicknames did he have?"

"Well, let's see," John replied, "He was also called 'Mister Dynamite', 'Soul Brother Number One', and **my** personal favorite, 'The Hardest Working Man in Show Business'."

"Hey, I never knew _American Bandstand_ started in Philadelphia." said Cory, remarking on a Dick Clark display nearby.

"Ohh, Philadelphia has a **rich** music history," said John, "I especially love the Philly Soul sound of the early-mid 70s."

"Child of the 70s, huh?" asked Topanga.

"Yep. That's me, all right." John replied with a smile.

* * *

Now, with the calendar on its last page, John has set before him the challenging but refreshing task of passing on the things that he himself has learned to the younger generations, and suddenly he found himself in the middle of a discussion about a time that he actually lived in: the 1970s, the first full decade he lived through, and despite what he went through with his father, his eyes still managed to generate a sparkle at sharing some of the good things about the decade. John remembered Feeny's advice and kept it close to his heart. Everything Feeny said was coming true right before John's eyes and ears, and now more than ever he was eager to share the things he learned; eager, but cautious.

He looked at the classroom full of students as he continued. "If you were to compare the 70s to today," said John, "You would realize all too well that **some** things were very, very different." He looks at his niece Maya as he continues. "Case in point, the only **dinosaurs** we saw in the **70s** were on **television** , and most of **those** were on Saturday morning."

"So you were **around** in the 70s, Mr. Beckett?" asked Lucas.

"Well, of **course** I was. Just how old do you think I **am** , anyway?" asked John apprehensively.

Lucas paused a moment before answering. "There's no right answer to that." he replied cautiously.

"Thank you for your discretion," said John dryly, then he turned to the rest of the class. "But, in the interest of disclosure, I'm almost fifty-three years old," he revealed, "and regardless of **personal** upbringing, I still consider myself to **be**.. a child of the 70s."

"So you got to experience the 70s first hand, then." Darby mentioned.

"As an **observer** , yes," John replied, "I was still a **child** ; I wasn't old enough to be part of the nightlife and social circles, but I did get to witness a lot of it through television and radio," he then looks at Zay, " **and** old magazines."

"How much **technology** did you have back in the 70s, Mr. Beckett?" asked Smackle.

"Ohh, nowhere **near** as much as we have **now** , Ms. Smackle," John replied, "For one thing, we had no Internet, therefore no email, no cellphones, and no texting."

"So most of your communication was face-to-face, right?" asked Riley.

"That depended on where you were, Riley," John answered, "The only social media we had was face-to-face, and word-of-mouth was automatic when you were with friends, of course, but when we were at home we used **telephones** … **with** **wires** attached."

"Ohhh," the entire class groaned aloud.

"What about in school?" asked Sarah.

"Well, in school," John answered, "You either got yelled at for talking too much, just like today, **or** you used folded handwritten notes and passed them around secretly… until you got caught."

"Just like today." Maya added.

"And if, and when, you **did** get caught," John continued, "You prayed as never before that the teacher who **caught** you didn't make it a point to read the notes aloud in class."

The class, especially the girls, winced at his words as he continued.

"But the thing was, we didn't have as big an option of shutting down the comm lines... as we do **now** ," John held up his own cellphone pointing to the power button, "But when we **did** shut them down, there was the potential for creating some pretty awkward situations."

"So did **you** ever get into any awkward situations, Uncle John?" asked Riley.

John looks at Riley as if to say, _You're kidding, right?_ , but then says aloud, "Not as often as you might **think**. Actually not often at **all**. I wasn't a very social person back in the day."

"Didn't **you** ever get any notes from girls?" Darby asked.

"Never," John replied, "For all I knew, nobody was talking about **me** , unless it was **rumors** , and I heard a great deal of **those** as the years went on."

"Didn't you have any girlfriends?" asked Lucas.

John shook his head. "No, I didn't. I didn't even get into my first **real** relationship until after I went into the Air Force. We were together for awhile, and we even got engaged, but that came to a rather abrupt end."

"When did **that** happen?" asked Riley.

"Right after I lost my legs in early '94," answered John, "But... before I gain any more 'awkward grays'," he added, pointing to his head, "I think it's time to close the **book** on my **personal** life and get back into the media arts… "So, since we're in the Media Arts Department," he said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together, "Let's get 'MAD'..."

* * *

"Ohh, you have **got** to be **kidding** me!"

With a pregnant Katy following, Topanga had walked through the front door of her house just in time for Cory to show off his own sartorial choice for the New Years Eve dance: a bright blue leisure jacket with canary yellow leather flare pants, white platform shoes, a red satin paisley dress shirt unbuttoned at the neck and untucked at the waist, and, to complete the ensemble, a large, gaudy gold chain around his neck.

"We tried to talk him out of it, Mom." said Auggie, with Ava nodding.

"So, whaddaya think, Tops?" said Cory, " **Groovy** , huh?"

With Katy, Topanga took a long look at her husband from head to toe. And while Katy had put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, Topanga folded her arms with a look of trepidation on her face.

"I think..." said Topanga, "...that I'd feel just a little bit less ridiculous if you weren't my husband."

"You ain't seen **nothin** ' yet, baby!" said Cory.

"There's **more?** " asked Topanga in disbelief.

Grabbing a shopping bag from off the coffee table, Cory dashed over to hide himself behind one of the drapes next to the Christmas tree. Topanga turned to look at Katy as if to sarcastically say 'I can hardly wait to see what's next'.

After a few moments, Cory yanks back the drapes to re-reveal himself, now wearing a large brown afro wig on his head, a big stick-on mustache and matching muttonchop sideburns.

Katy can't take it anymore. She busts out in uncontrollable laughter, while Topanga can only do a facepalm slowly shaking her head, but Katy's infectious laughter causes Topanga to begin chortling herself. She rubs her eyes and then looks back up at Cory.

"Well?" asked Cory.

" **Really** , Mr. Kotter?"

"Did I ever tell you about my Uncle so-and-so?" asked Cory imitating Gabe Kaplan's classic character.

"No," answered Topanga, imitating Kotter's TV wife Julie, "But you **will**."

"Nice sideburns." said Katy still laughing.

"Yeah, now that you mention it," said Topanga, "They look exactly like the ones that Shawn wore when we became freshmen."

" **What?** " asked Katy, still laughing.

"Oh, Shawn never **told** you about that?" asked Topanga.

"No!"

"Yeah. Back when we started high school Shawn decided he wanted to look more grown up, so he put on a pair of fake sideburns."

"Like **those**?!" asked Katy, pointing to Cory's faux-whiskers.

"Like those." Topanga echoed.

"Ohh, I'm gonna have to **talk** to Shawn about **that**." said Katy.

John comes wheeling through the opened doorway but stops short of coming in. He sees Topanga and Katy first, but he doesn't see Cory behind the door.

"Hey, sis, Topanga, umm… have you two seen Cory?"

Katy and Topanga both begin snickering, but it's Topanga who speaks.

"Ee-Yeah," said Topanga struggling to keep from laughing again, "We've seen him."

John is a little confused by Topanga and Katy's giggling, but he ignores it at first. "Well, where **is** he?" he asked as he held up a manila folder, "I have some papers I need to give to him."

Cory reaches around the door and snatches the folder from a startled John's hand. "Thanks, John." he said.

"Oh, hey, Cory, I didn't see you behind the door."

"You're better off." said Topanga.

"What are you doing? Why are you..."

John opens the door all the way and finally gets a look at Cory in all his retro-glory.

 **"WHOA-H-H!"**

John winces at Cory, then stares, mouth agape, looking at him from head-to-toe in his sartorial splendor.

"What do ya think, Mister Child-of-the-70s?"

John took a little extra time to give a response. He leaned his elbow on one arm of his wheelchair as he sized up Cory's attempt at retro-cosplaying.

"There's no right answer to that." John replied. "Y'know, the only time in the 70s I saw people wearing clothes like **that,** they were either dancing on railroad tracks painted on the floor, **or** they were going for what was behind the curtain."

"We went for what was behind the curtain." said Topanga.

"You thinking what **I'm** thinking?" asked John.

"We just got zonked?"

"No, **y** **ou** just got zonked." John corrected with a chuckle.

"Thanks a lot, you guys." said Cory to both of them.

John chuckled. "Well, I could have said you look like a young Alex Trebek, but that would have been **too** insulting."

"Too insulting to **me**?" asked Cory.

"No, to Alex Trebek." replied Topanga.

"You sound like quite an expert on the 70s, Mr. Beckett." said Ava.

"I'm more than just an expert, Ava. I was **there** ," said John, "I **lived** it. I lived **through** it… Somehow."

"So what were the 70s like?" asked Auggie.

"Well," answered John **"Personally** speaking, there were some bad moments, but I prefer to **forget** all the bad things and focus on what was good."

"So what was it that made the 70s so good?" asked Auggie.

"The **music**." John replied with a wink as he pointed up his index finger.

Auggie and Ava both ponder John's words as Katy speaks up again.

"I heard you're going to be one of the chaperons at the New Years Eve dance, John." said Katy.

"Yes I am, plus I'm going to be DJing, too," said John proudly, "I'll be there picking out music at the dance class tomorrow night."

" **Dance** class?" asked Katy.

"Yeah," said Cory, "John suggested we should have an informal dance class in the gym and teach some of the old dances to the students."

"Oh, you mean like the Macarena and the Cotton-Eyed Joe?"

"You're a little off, sis," said John, "No, I'm talking about dances like the Hustle, the Bump, the YMCA and the... Funky Chicken."

Auggie and Ava did a double take at John. "The **what**?" they both asked together.

"The Funky Chicken," John replied. "That was a popular dance back in the 70s."

Cory contemplated the name for a moment. "Was it anything like..."

John guessed what was coming. "No, Cory, it was nothing like the Chicken Dance," he said, "With the Funky Chicken you moved your **legs** just as much as you moved your **arms**."

"Those are some pretty wild names." said Ava.

"They were pretty wild dances," John replied, "For their time," he added under his breath.

"Were there others?" asked Auggie.

"Oh, **sure** there were," replied John, "Let's see… There was the Robot..."

"Oh, brother," said Katy.

"The Electric Boogaloo..."

"Shocking." said Topanga.

"And then, of course, there was the Night Fever, the Locking dance, **and**... the Disco Duck."

"Disco **Duck**?!" asked Ava and Auggie, again together.

"Disco Duck, and I swear I'm not making **any** of those up. You can find them on YouTube."

"Was the Disco Duck anything like the Funky Chicken?" asked Ava.

John looked toward the ceiling in contemplation, then looked at Ava. "Yeah. It was." he finally said.

"So, are you taking a **date** to the big dance, Big Brother?" asked Katy.

"No, I don't **have** a date," John replied, "Matter of fact, it's been so long since I've been in a **relationship** I've practically forgotten what it's like."

"How long has it **been**?" asked Topanga.

John shrugs, "Oh, I don't know. I'd say probably over twenty years..." Katy and Topanga look at one another with surprise on their faces. "...but I've gotten used to it, so it ain't no big thing for me."

Topanga, Katy and Cory all exchange glances.

"Besides, I'm probably going to be too busy DJ'ing anyway, so I won't have time for a date," John continued, "And now, if you'll excuse me, I have papers to grade, so Cory, I'll see you tomorrow night." John turns around to wheel himself out of the apartment closing the door behind him. It was several seconds before anyone else spoke.

"Twenty years." Auggie was still pondering John's words.

"That's a long time to be alone," said Ava.

" **What's** a long time to be alone?" asked Riley as she and Maya come in with Sarah and Darby. The girls stop in their tracks and gaze at Cory in his retro-glory. Darby and Sarah look at Cory in surprise, but Riley and Maya are more used to Cory's antics.

"Hi, girls!"

"Hey, Dad." Riley replied flatly as she and the others walked by.

"I agree," Katy had not yet noticed the girls had come in. "Twenty years **is** a long time for someone to be alone."

"Alone?" asked Sarah.

"Twenty years?" asked Darby.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Riley.

" **Who** are you guys talking about?" asked Maya.

"Your Uncle John." Katy answered Maya, "He said he hasn't been in a relationship in over twenty years."

"That's a long time to be alone." said Darby.

"Ee-Yeah, we noticed that, too." said Topanga.

"It's kinda funny, though," Darby contemplated, You know, **my** **mom** hasn't been on a date in a long time, either."

Maya slowly but surely gets a look in her eyes, a gleam that could almost light a room. Riley is the first one to notice the look in Maya's eyes as a smile begins to grow on her face.

"Maya?"

"Yeeeeesss?"

"You're getting that **look** in your ey-y-e." Riley said suspiciously.

"I learned from the best."

"Uh oh," said Darby, "I've **seen** that look before,"

"So have **I** ," Sarah added, "And it can only be trouble."

Maya's smile began to widen even more. "The best **kind** of trouble," she said. "The **good** kind of trouble." She then looks and then points at Riley, Darby and Sarah.

" **You** three..."

Darby and Sarah both raise their hands to their hearts. " **Us?!** " They chorus together.

Maya then points to Topanga and Katy. " **And** **you** two..."

" **Us?** " Topanga says. Then she looks at Katy and gives her a nudge. Katy had never been summoned to the Bay Window before, so she didn't know what to do. But after a nod from Topanga she plays along and raises her own hand to her heart.

"Oh." whispered Katy to Topanga. " **Us?** " she says aloud.

"Bay window." Maya declared. "Bay window right now!"

 ** _END OF CHAPTER ONE_**


	2. Chapter 2- The Crazy Bomb

_**CHAPTER TWO**_

 _ **"The Crazy Bomb"**_

 _ **Wednesday morning.**_

Topanga walks into her place of work, the Elliot, Brown & Montgomery law firm, striding toward her office passing the large assemblage of desks and cubicles. She lays eyes on her paralegal and assistant, Leah Walker, sitting at her desk looking through some briefs for a case that Topanga is working on. Leah doesn't yet see Topanga, and Topanga stops before walking into her field of vision.

Leah has worked for the law firm for some time now, and Topanga has always been pleased with her work. After talking with Leah's daughter Darby yesterday afternoon, it occurred to Topanga that Leah doesn't have much of a social life, and now Topanga can't help but wonder why any man could never get hold of Leah's heart; she's smart, and still very attractive for a woman in her early fifties, although Topanga does occasionally show some annoyance at the fact that Leah is almost a full head taller than her…

* * *

 _ **Flashback to Tuesday afternoon.**_

Riley, Darby, Sarah, Katy and Topanga all answer the call to join Maya in the Bay Window.

"Okay," said Maya excitedly, "Here's what I have in mind..."

"I think we already **know** what you have in **mind** , Maya." said Sarah.

"You want to hook up Mr. **Beckett** with **my mom**." Darby added.

"You **got** it." said Maya, still flashing her smile.

"When?" Darby asks.

"And where?" added Sarah.

"Tomorrow night," Maya answered, "During the dance class at the gym."

Sarah and Darby exchange a look, Sarah to size up her own best friend's as yet unspoken feelings about Maya's idea. Darby's eyes sum up her current lack of optimism, but she still speaks up anyway.

"I.. I don't know..." said Darby slowly shaking her head.

"What's the matter, Darby?" asked Riley, "Don't you **like** Mr. Beckett?"

"Well… Yeah, **I** guess he's alright," said Darby, "But that's not the **point**."

"What **is** the point?"

"It's just.. the thought of my mother dating one of my teachers. Just seems a little problematic to me."

"Feel free to join the **awkward** club." Riley chimed in.

Darby had to think for a moment, but it didn't take her long to remember, mainly because it wasn't that long ago that Riley's own dad was their teacher.

"Ohh, yeah. Your **dad**."

"You don't think **I** feel a little embarrassed about the fact that my Uncle John is our teacher now?" asked Maya.

" **You?!** " asked Sarah, "I've never seen **you** embarrassed about **anything**."

"Neither have **I**." Darby added.

"She hides it well." Riley chimes in.

"Hey!" protested Maya.

"Well, it's **true** ," said Riley.

" **Is** it, Riley? Name **one time** that you actually saw **me** in an embarrassing moment." Maya challenged.

Riley was ready with an answer, "Okay. The time we went to see Uncle Josh in his college dorm at NYU, and I pushed you into the room just as you were about to leave."

" **What?** " Darby and Sarah both exclaimed together as Maya winced. They had never heard that story before.

"Once upon a time," Riley began, "There was a girl called Maya who went to a dorm room at NYU..."

But Maya stopped her short. " **Riley**! Riley, **no**.. Not this time, okay?."

"Aww c'mon!" said Sarah, "We wanna hear the details."

"There **are** no details," said Maya, "All we did was go to a **dorm** party."

"The dorm where my **Uncle Josh** was staying." Riley added.

Darby and Sarah looked at Riley and Maya, their eyes begging for more details. Maya knew there wasn't much more to tell, but she obliged them anyway.

"When I saw that he and a friend of his were in a room with a couple of other college girls, I got discouraged and was ready to leave." Maya explained.

"And **that's** when I pushed her into his room." Riley added with a small degree of pride.

"So what **happened**?" asked Darby.

" **Nothing**." Riley and Maya chorused together.

Darby and Sarah looked at one another in disbelief. " **Nothing?!** " they asked together.

" **Nothing!** " This time it was Katy and Topanga who replied together.

"That's **crazy!** " said Darby.

"It was also.. **awkward**." Maya added awkwardly, casting a soft smiling glare at Riley before the mothers began to speak up again.

"Cumbersome situations aside," Topanga began, "A little word of advice, girls?"

"Okay, go ahead." said Maya.

"If you **do** decide to go through with your little matchmaking scheme, I wouldn't put too much stock in the fact that they haven't been on dates in a long time. Like John said, he's used to being alone."

"But… if they **do** happen to hit it off tomorrow night," said Katy, "Don't expect things to start taking off right away."

"That's **assuming** , of course, that they hit it off at **all**." Topanga added.

"Why **wouldn't** they hit it off?" asked Riley.

"John said that he hasn't been on a date in a long time." replied Topanga.

"He also said that he's almost forgotten what it's **like** to be on a date," Katy added.

"Although we're pretty sure he was only **kidding** about **that** part." Topanga mused.

"What we're saying, girls, is don't force any issues," said Katy, "Just let things happen the way they're **meant** to happen."

"And if they hit it off, so be it," Topanga added, "And if not, then so be that, too. We want to be matchmakers, not deal breakers. Okay?"

" **We?** " Riley asked, looking at the two mothers.

Topanga and Katy looked at one another and shrugged. "Well, Maya **did** summon **all** of us to the Bay Window," Topanga explained, "So it looks like Katy and I are in on this whether we want to be or not."

"Yeah," Katy affirmed, "We're charter members of the 'Awkward **Moms** Club' now."

* * *

 _ **Back to Wednesday morning.**_

Before she walks into full view of Leah sitting at her desk, Topanga takes a quick gulp of courage from her takeout cup, inhales deeply in anticipation of extending the offer, and then walks toward her office.

"Good morning, Leah." said Topanga.

"Yes, Topanga, I would love to go to the dance class tonight."

Topanga stopped cold, caught completely off guard by what Leah said, and she surreptitiously tensed up inside when it suddenly hit her.

" **What?** "

"I said I would love to go to the dance class at the high school tonight." Leah repeated.

 _Did Darby tell her?_ Topanga thought.

"Did **Darby** tell you?" she then asked aloud.

"Yeah, she told me about it," Leah responded, "She's kinda looking forward to learning some of those old dances, and I figured 'why not'. I think it'll be pretty cool to relive some old memories of my **own**."

"You sure you're not going to feel awkward doing those old dances in front of your own daughter?" Topanga asked.

"Mm, Probably," Leah replied, "But I wouldn't pass up the chance to embarrass **her**."

Inwardly, Topanga still harbored a twinge of nervousness, but she convinced herself that she could hide it when she laughed at Leah's response.

"So I can count on you to show up tonight then."

" **Yeah** , **I'll** be there." said Leah.

Despite her inner tension, Topanga was able to paste a smile on her face as she strode to her office, but just as she was about to walk through her doorway, Leah spoke up again.

"Topanga, you don't have any **ulterior** motives in mind, do you?"

Topanga stopped in her tracks and turned back to Leah, still with a smile on her face.

"Now why would I harbor any ulterior **motives** , Leah?"

"You forget I **know** you, Topanga," said Leah, "You're a **lawyer**. You **thrive** on withholding important information."

"In the **courtroom** , **yes** ," Topanga pointed out, "But not **here**."

Leah sizes up her boss for a moment or two. The look in Topanga's eyes dictate to her that she's on the so-called up-and-up.

"Like you said," Topanga reminded, "You **know** me."

* * *

 _ **Wednesday afternoon.**_

The dismissal bell rings, and classes are just letting out at the high school. Riley and Maya were on their way to their lockers as they passed John in the hallway. John had only caught a glimpse of their faces, but it was enough for him to call out to them once they had passed him by.

"Uhm.. **Girls?** " John called out to them.

Riley and Maya stop dead in their tracks and in unison turn around to look at John, whose suspicion became even more heightened when he got a better look at their faces.

"What are you two up to?"

"Who says we were **up** to anything?" Riley asked innocently, but John was not being fooled.

"Yours truly. **That's** who." said John.

Maya attempted to copy Riley's innocent act. "What makes you say **that** , Uncle John?" she asked.

John slowly wheels himself closer to where the girls stopped. "Your parents told me some of the crazy stunts you two have pulled in the past," said John. "They gave me all the warning signs, and I'm seeing some of those very same signs in **both** of your faces right **now**."

Riley and Maya exchange a quick glance, inwardly gritting their teeth and not letting on that John is right. But before they could contrive an explanation, John abruptly decided he didn't have the time to grill them and decided to let them off the hook, but not before he gave the girls an almost avuncular warning.

"All right, look," said John, "I'm not going to press you about it right now, but… whatever 'crazy bomb' you two are planting, just make extra certain that **I'm** not around when you set it off, okay?"

The two girls nod. John sizes them up one last time before he turns his wheelchair around and rolls away back to his office. After he is out of sight, the two girls heave a collective sigh of relief...

* * *

 _ **Wednesday evening, the high school gymnasium.**_

 **" _Put on your da-a-ancin' shoes… Throw out those one night blues..."_**

The DJ speakers are blaring out Nigel Olsson's slow hit _Dancin' Shoes_ as people are walking in. Riley, Maya, Darby and Sarah are just walking through the main entrance to the gym, where just to their left there are the two large speakers flanking a large dais with steps on either side. At the other end of the gym is a stage with the curtains closed. The girls are somewhat startled by the large group of people already there, mostly students with their parents, and even some with their **grand** parents, many of whom were more than willing to show their progeny some of the old dance moves they did back in the day.

"Wow," said Darby, "What a turnout."

"I see a lot of dinosaurs here." said Maya.

The four look over toward the dais and see Cory talking to some students and parents, and also see Zay looking over John's shoulder as he concentrates on the laptops he brought to play the music.

Maya smiled slightly when she noticed John. "So far, so good." she quietly said.

"One down, one to go." added Darby.

"Hey, **wait** a minute," Sarah piped up, "Riley, does your **dad** know what we're up to?"

"Yeah, he does," Maya was the one who answered, "We told him last night after you two left."

"I just hope he doesn't blow it for us." said Darby.

"So when is your **mom** supposed to get here, Darby?" asked Riley.

"I just got off the phone with her," Darby answered back, "She and **your** mom should be showing up any minute now."

"Hey guys!" Lucas, Farkle and Smackle walk up to meet them.

"Hey there." said Maya, "So you learning any old dances?"

"Oh yeah, we all just learned how to do the **Bump**." said Smackle.

" **All** of you?" asked Riley.

"Yep." said Smackle.

Riley looks at Lucas, folding her arms in front of her in a playful gesture of apprehension. "So who were **you** bumping with in my absence, **Lucas?** "

Without a word, Lucas furtively points to Smackle, but Smackle spoke up.

"Me," she said proudly as Lucas nodded in embarrassment, "I was bumping with Lucas **and** Farkle."

"Yeah," Farkle added, "And I've already got a sore hip to **prove** it."

"I didn't bump you **that** hard, did I?" Smackle protested.

"Only when Lucas bumped into **you first.** " said Farkle.

"They're about to teach how to do the YMCA dance." said Lucas.

"We'll follow you over." said Maya.

"What are **you** going to be doing?" asked Farkle.

"We need to go over and talk to Uncle John." Riley replied.

"What about?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing important. We'll explain later." said Maya.

"Okay." Lucas shrugged. He then looked at Smackle and Farkle and the three walked over to where a small group was gathered to learn another dance.

* * *

"Oh, snappage," said John, "I just remembered I left some extra tracks in the station office."

"I can go get 'em for you." offered Zay.

"No, it's all right," said John, "They're on a thumb drive, and I don't quite remember where I put it. Besides, my office is locked. I'll be right back."

John wheels himself down a ramp at the back of the dais and out a side door at the other corner of the gym. Just as he disappears from view, Topanga and Leah come in through the main entrance. Darby and Sarah are the first to notice Leah's entrance.

"Wow. What a turnout." Leah remarked.

"That's what **I** said," said Darby, "So Mom, you ready to make a fool of yourself or what?"

"No," Leah replied, "But I'm ready to embarrass **you**."

Darby rolled her eyes as her embarrassment level was already starting to rise. "I **knew** you'd say that." she said with a chuckle.

"So did **I**." said Topanga. But then Topanga's attention turned to the dais, where she saw Cory and Zay, but not John. She excused herself from Leah for a moment as she strode toward the dais, wondering.

"Where's John?" she asked as she got close enough to Cory for only him to hear.

"He's coming right back," said Cory, "I heard him say he had to go and get a thumb drive from his office."

Topanga let out a little sigh. "I was afraid he might not show up."

Just as she said that, John was wheeling himself back up the ramp to the dais.

"Hey, John."

" **Hey** , Topanga," said John, "Glad **you** could make it."

Just then Riley and Maya made their way to the dais.

"Hey, Dad." said Riley to Cory.

"Hey, Uncle John." said Maya.

John was already working on one of the laptops he brought in to play music. "Hey, young lady," he said, "So are you ready to get up and dance to a song that was a hit before your mother was born?"

"I'm seeing a lot of Saturday morning dinosaurs here." quipped Maya.

"Yeah, me too. Apparently they're staying up late tonight." said John.

Topanga, Cory, Riley and Maya all looked at one another and shared a collective nod. They each seemed to share the same thought: _The board is set and the players are in their starting positions._ But then Topanga and Riley both look toward the doorway where Topanga had left Leah.

Leah was nowhere to be found.

Mother and daughter exchanged a concerned look, and when Riley saw Darby walk back through the doorway alone to where Sarah was standing she and Maya ran up to her.

"Where's your mom?" Maya asked in a loud whisper.

"She said she had to go back to her car to get her other shoes," Darby answered, "She forgot she was still wearing her work heels and wanted to change out of them. **She'll** be right back."

Riley heaved a sigh, then turned to her mother and nodded with a thumbs-up. Topanga nodded back in relief.

"Boy, this is **taking** long enough." Maya muttered as she and Riley walk back toward the dais.

"It'll happen when it happens, Maya," said Riley, "Remember, Mom said not to force any issues."

Maya sighed and then nodded at Riley's words as the DJ speakers start playing the Village People hit _YMCA_.

"C'mon," said Riley, "Let's go learn some old dances."

The two stride off to join Lucas, Farkle and Smackle, all learning to do the 'YMCA' dance.

"Ohh, **rats!** " John was still sitting at the laptops as he furrowed his brow.

"What's the matter?" asked Zay.

"I got the wrong thumb drive," John replied in frustration, "I'll be right back."

Before Cory could stop him, John was again wheeling himself down the ramp and out the other door. And just as he again disappeared from view, Leah returned to the gym.

"Ahh, that's a little better." She said to herself as she walked back in.

Riley gestures to Maya to look toward the main doorway as Leah returned, but then looked back at the dais which once again was without John.

 _'Ohh, you've_ _ **got**_ _to be_ _ **kidding**_ _me',_ Riley thought to herself as she was dancing next to Lucas. Farkle and Smackle were dancing next to them somewhat clumsily.

Looking back at her daughter, Topanga could only shake her head, throwing up her hands just as the chorus of the song sang the "Y" in _YMCA_.

Darby, Sarah and Leah start walking toward the dais when Darby almost trips over her own feet. Sarah grabs her arm to keep her from falling.

"You okay?" asked Leah.

Darby was a little confused, "Yeah, I'm all right," but then she looks down at her feet and sees the reason why she tripped; she lifts up her right foot and notices the heel was beginning to fall away, barely hanging on to the sole.

"Ohh, **man**." Darby muttered, "This is my favorite pair, too."

"Hmm," said Leah nodding, "Y'know, I had a feeling this might happen. That's why I came prepared."

"What do you mean?"

"I brought another pair of **your** shoes, too… Just in case."

"Another pair?"

"Yeah," said Leah, "They're in the car. I'll got get 'em." Leah starts to once again walk out the door, but Darby tries to stop her.

"Mom, **you** don't have to do that right now."

"Darby, you can't go walking around in **those** anymore," Leah argued, "You might **trip** again."

"She could say she was **dancing**." Sarah said sheepishly.

"You think the paramedics would believe that?" asked Leah sarcastically, but then she chuckled and said to Darby, "Honey, It's not a problem. I'll be right back."

You can figure out for yourself what happens next.

That's right.

The very nanosecond Leah scampers out the main entrance, John re-enters from the side door and back up the ramp onto the dais. Seeing this, the girls all roll their eyes, almost in unison. John plugs the new thumb drive into one of the laptops, but when he looks at the screen a few moments later he nods slightly, but his face is devoid of emotion.

"So you got the right thumb drive this time, Mr. Beckett?" asked Zay.

"Yeah, I think so," said John, but then he looked over at the speaker to his left, then tilted his head to listen, "But I think we may have a slight **sound** issue now."

"What do you mean?"

"Sounds like one of the speakers is losing sound," John replied, "I'll check it out." Again he wheels himself down the ramp.

"Where are you going **now**?" Cory asked hastily. He hadn't heard what John had said to Zay.

John stops, turns around, and looks at Cory apprehensively. "Nowhere," John replied, "I'm just going down to check the wiring on the back on the speaker."

"Oh," said Cory, "Okay, don't let me stop you."

John takes a longer look at Cory. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Cory tries to save face. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Why are you so **jumpy** all of a sudden?"

"I… I..."

Cory looks over at Topanga, who looks back at him as it to say, ' _You'd better not blow this, Matthews!'_ Quickly the words come to Cory.

"Hey, I'm... I'm with **you** in this, John," Cory said somewhat nervously, "I… just... want to be sure that... nothing goes wrong." Cory ends his words with a chuckle.

John raises an eyebrow as he takes one more look at Cory and then, deciding that he's better off not picking Cory's brain, waves it off, then turns away shaking his head. He wheels down the ramp to the speaker, peers around at the back of it, and begins to turn it around. From the other side of the dais, Darby sees John trying to move the large floor speaker on his own, but in his disabled position he is not having much luck. Leah hasn't returned from the car yet, so Darby decides to seize on the moment and hopefully expedite the big plan.

She walks over to John who is still struggling with the big speaker. "You need some help, Mr. Beckett?"

John quickly looks up at Darby somewhat startled, but welcoming of her help.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." said John, "Help me turn this around a little bit." The two manage to move the speaker one quarter turn. After thanking Darby, John wheels around to examine the cables closer. His back is to the main entrance when Leah suddenly reappears in the doorway with a pair of sparkly-looking sneakers searching for Darby. When she sees her daughter standing near a man in a wheelchair looking at the back of a speaker, she walks toward her, paying no attention to the man.

"Here you go, Darby," said Leah, handing the other shoes to her daughter.

"Thanks, Mom," said Darby, who began to step out of her worn shoes. She drops her new shoes on the floor and steps out of the worn ones, but when she realizes she dropped the new ones backwards, she walks around to the other side of where they lay and begins to step into them. Leah trades positions with Darby, her back now close to where John is parked in his wheelchair, putting the finishing touches on his repair work, his back still to where Leah and Darby are standing.

Still on the dais, Cory starts watching Leah and John a little closer while Topanga, still near the entrance, slowly walks toward Leah. Riley, nearby, still watching some other students learning to dance, notices that Leah and John are now back-to-back and pats Maya on the shoulder. Riley points toward John finishing his work on the speaker, and Maya gently bites her lower lip in anticipation.

The two best friends glance at one another. _This_ _is_ _it_ , they both thought to themselves.

Darby picks up her old shoes and looks at Leah. "So what do I do with **these**?"

"Might as well throw them away." said Leah with a shrug.

"Yeah, I guess your right." Darby sighed unhappily.

"Oh, wait a minute," said Leah as Darby began to walk away, "Your left the heel on the floor." Leah knelt down to pick it up.

"Okay, that should do it." said John to himself, plugging the speaker back in. Hearing the sound full and clear, he nods to himself in satisfaction, and then manages on his own to move the speaker back around to face the dance floor.

Leah is just rising back up to her full height as John releases the brakes on his wheelchair and, unaware, slowly backs up and gasps as he bumps into someone standing behind him. Leah also gasps when she feels something bump into her hip.

" **Ohh** , **I'm** sorry!" said John as he began to turn around, "I wasn't aware someone was behind me."

"I'm sorry, too," said Leah, also turning around, "I didn't see **you** , **either** …"

And finally, as the others are watching, the two look one another in the eye.

The tall woman and the disabled man lock eyes on one another for what seems like a long time. The two look at one another in confusion for a moment or two, but somewhere inside, each one gradually seems to recognize the other, and their eyes widen almost at the same time. Leah inhales deeply and holds her breath for several seconds, but she is the one who speaks first.

"John?"

"Leah..." John replied softly. He is at a complete loss for words, while Leah struggles to find her own.

Darby looks at her mom, then glances at John, and then turns back to her mother with a look of confusion and concern. Leah casts a quick glance at her daughter, then at Topanga, and then before anyone can say anything, Leah quickly turns around and runs out of the gymnasium.

"Leah!" Topanga called to her as she followed her out, "Leah, where are you going?"

Bewildered, Darby remains standing where she was as Sarah walks up to her side. Maya and Riley, just as bewildered, walk up to John, but his eyes remained fixated on the doorway where Leah had just run through.

"What just happened?" asked Riley.

"What's was **that** all about, Uncle John?" added Maya.

John continued to silently stare at the doorway.

"Mr. Beckett?" said Sarah.

"Uncle John?" Maya quietly asked. "Are you okay?"

But the only thing John could hear was the pounding of his own heart as he continued to sit in his wheelchair in total stunned silence. He could feel an emotional avalanche about to unleash, and the last place he wanted to show his emotions was in front of everyone else at school.

"Cory... take over." was all John could force out of his mouth before turning his wheelchair around and swiftly wheeling himself out through the side doorway.

Maya, Darby, Sarah and Riley all stared after John as he quickly carted himself out of the gym. After he departed from their view, they each exchanged a look of complete confusion among each other. Right as John left through the side doorway, Topanga came back through the main entrance. Cory was the first to notice.

"Where's Leah?" Cory asked.

"She bolted." Topanga replied.

"Apparently, she wasn't the **only** one." said Cory.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, and then took a look around and noticed there was no wheelchair to be seen. "Where's John?" Topanga asked.

"He bolted, too." Cory replied, gesturing toward the side doorway.

Topanga gazes at Cory, then at the girls, her confusion level rapidly rising up to theirs.

 _ **END OF CHAPTER TWO**_


	3. Chapter 3- Pandora's Box

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

 _ **"Pandora's Box"**_

 _ **Wednesday night.**_

The dance class was over, and the Matthews were walking into their apartment with Maya, all of them still with confused and concerned looks on their faces. Shawn and Katy were at the apartment with Auggie and Ava.

"Hey, how did the dance class go?" Shawn asked.

"Pretty good..." said Cory, but then his smile faded as he added "…at first."

"'At first'?" Shawn asked.

"How did the **meeting** go?" Katy asked with a smile, expecting to hear some good news.

Topanga glanced at Cory before answering. " **N** **ot** so good." she said.

Katy's smile was quickly replaced with a frown. "What happened?" she asked.

Cory exchanged glances with Topanga before he spoke. "As soon as they saw each other, Leah ran away." Cory finally said.

"Ran away?" Shawn couldn't believe it. "Why?"

"We don't know." said Topanga.

"They didn't tell you?"

"No, they didn't. We never got the chance to ask." said Topanga.

"Because moments after **Leah** ran off, Uncle **John** ran off." Riley added.

There is a pause while Shawn and Katy process the news.

"That doesn't make sense." Shawn asked.

"No, it doesn't." replied Cory.

" **Wait** a minute," said Katy, whose mind began to kick into gear, "Cory, Riley, did you two say the woman's name was **Leah**?"

"Yeah, we did." Cory replied as Riley nodded.

"She works for me at the law office." Topanga added.

"And her daughter is one of our classmates," Riley added, "Darby Walker."

"Darby Walker..." said Katy to herself. The wheels in her head began to turn faster and harder. " **Leah** Walker..." she then said, again to herself. Her eyes widened as she suddenly had a realization.

"Oh, my gosh."

"What is it, Katy?" Shawn asked.

"You know, I just remembered something. My mom told me once that John was **engaged** to some woman years ago." Katy explained.

"We already know he was engaged." said Maya. "What about it?"

"I just remembered that Mom said that the woman's name was... **Leah Walker**."

There was an unwieldy silence.

"You think she could have been the **same Leah**?" Shawn asked Katy.

"I don't **know**. I never **met** her."

"It **couldn't** have been." Maya protested. "What are the **odds** of something like that happening?"

"Maya, **you** saw Leah's reaction when she first saw John." Topanga said. "That could very well have been **her**."

"Mom's right. And don't forget that Uncle John reacted the same way." Riley pointed out,

"I think it **was** her." Cory said quietly.

Topanga turned to Cory. "How come **you're** so sure?"

"Because I heard them address each other by **name**." Cory answered.

Maya stoppped dead in her tracks when she heard Cory's words.

"What?"

"I was the closest one to them. They knew each other's **name** , Maya."

An ice cold silence fills the room.

"Ohhh, boy." said Shawn.

"So much for the odds." muttered Riley.

"That **confirms** it." said Topanga, throwing up her hands, "She **is** the same Leah Walker."

Maya couldn't say another word. She had just set a new personal record for awkwardness. Inwardly, she tried to convince herself that she wasn't trying to copy Riley's success in shipping Shawn with Katy. The knowledge that her uncle hadn't been in a relationship in over twenty years just motivated her to want to do something for him, but **nobody** planned on **this** happening, certainly not Maya.

"Oh.. my.. God, what have I done?" Maya whispered to herself as she walked over to the living room bay window and plopped herself down, putting her head in her hands. "Me and my brilliant ideas." she said sarcastically as Riley sat down next to her on one side, while Katy sat next to her on the other.

"Maya, you can't blame yourself for this." said Riley.

"Yes I **can** , Riley." she argued. " **I** was the one who came up with this whole scheme to have them meet, remember?"

"But you had no way of knowing that this Leah was the same one, Babygirl," Katy tried to reassure her, " **None** of us had any way of knowing."

Katy and Riley's words did provide some degree of comfort, but Maya had nothing in the way of a resolution. She found herself in another "doozie", again with no easy way out. She heaves a heavy sigh before speaking up again.

"Well, Pandora's Box has just been opened," said Maya, "So what are we supposed to do **now**?"

"Well, evidently there's a lot more to this whole thing than what we already know," said Topanga, "I'll talk to Leah tomorrow morning and see what else I can find out."

"And while we're at it, I think someone should go and talk with **John**." Cory added.

"Don't look at **me** ," said Maya, "He was already suspicious enough this afternoon when he stopped Riley and me in the hallway after school. If he found out **I** was behind all of this I'd never hear the end of it."

A pause before...

" **I'll** talk to John." said Katy.

"Are you sure?" Shawn asked.

"It's worth a **try**." Katy replied. "After all, he was there for me and **Mom**. Maybe now **I** can be there for **him**."

* * *

In the short months since accepting the teaching job at the Double A, John and Katy had grown much closer, catching up on each other's lives and coming to a mutual understanding about one another. Katy heard more stories about the frequent abuse John and their mother Angela had endured at their father's hands, and even got to see the scar from where Roy had shot him before John finished him off. Katy became grateful to her brother for protecting her and their mother, God rest her soul, and even though Shawn and Maya helped to shatter the barriers between brother and sister, there were still some things about John that Katy didn't completely understand. But at the same time, Katy came to terms with the reality that there were things about herself that John didn't fully understand, either.

Katy waddles up to the door to John's apartment and gently raps on his door.

"John? Are you there? It's me, Katy."

A pause, but no response. She knocks again.

"John?"

Again, no response.

Katy briefly wondered to herself where John might be, and then decided to go up to the roof of the apartment. Slowly but surely she made it up to the top floor, where the door leading out to the rooftop was already cracked open. Katy quietly opened it the rest of the way and found John sitting near the parapet puffing on his electronic cigarette. At first she stood in the doorway silently watching her older brother as he stared off into the cold evening sky.

Katy slowly shuffled down the steps and over toward John. He knew it was her without turning around.

"Hi, Katy." he said softly.

"How did you know it was **me**?"

"Pregnant shuffle," he replied, "You're the only one I know right now who walks like that."

"I tried knocking on your door, but there was no answer, so I thought you might be up here," said Katy as she walked up to John's side and gently places her hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

John slowly took a deep breath before quietly giving an unconvincing answer, "Yeah, I guess so."

"You don't **sound** like it," Katy observed. She walked over and sat on the nearby bench facing him, and it was only at that point that she noticed his eyes were red and swollen from crying. "You don't **look** like it, either."

"I'm that obvious, huh?"

"They told me what happened at the dance class." said Katy.

John said nothing and continued avoiding Katy's eyes.

" **Everyone** is feeling pretty **awful** right now." she added.

"You got a candle?" asked John.

"Why?" Katy was confused at the question.

"Because if you were to light it and hold it up, it wouldn't come **anywhere close** to the way **I** feel right now."

Katy looked down at the floor. "I know... and... I'm sorry, John."

John finally turned to look at Katy. " **You're** sorry? Why?" he quietly asked.

"Because I was **in** on it," said Katy, " **Maya** was the one who came up with the idea of having you two meet tonight, but..."

"Ohh, I knew it," John ruefully chuckled, his suspicions of Riley and Maya that afternoon in the school hallway were just confirmed. "I just **knew** she and Riley were up to something." he grumbled.

"...but **nobody** was expecting what happened." Katy added.

" **Yeah**. Least of all, **me** ," John added, then sighed and again turned his eyes toward the sky. "But I guess that goes without saying."

"Would it help if I said that I kinda know how you feel?" Katy gently asked.

"What? You mean you had friends set **you** up with someone they didn't know you had been with before?"

"No, I'm talking about getting left." Katy replied.

John had to think about it for a moment, but he inwardly reminded himself that his little sister and her young daughter had both been abandoned by Kermit.

"Oh. Well… yeah, I guess it helps a little bit," John quietly replied, "But at least **you** had some advanced **warning** that it was going to happen. In **my** case there was no warning at **all**. I had just lost my legs overseas, and then from out of nowhere I lose my **fiance** , and for **no reason** … except maybe that she convinced herself that she didn't want to be... engaged to a man who wasn't a complete man anymore." John was fighting to keep from crying again.

"Oh, come on, John. **You** don't know if that's true."

"I don't know that it's **not** true, **either** , Katy," said John, his voice cracking, "I still don't know why she left."

"She never told you?"

"She couldn't even bring herself to **face** me. All I remember was waking up one morning, looking over at the table next to my hospital bed, and there it was."

"There **what** was?"

"The engagement ring I had given her."

"She didn't even leave a note?"

John shook his head. "No. Just the ring. Nothing else. And I never saw her again."

"Until tonight." Katy added.

"Until tonight." John echoed with a nod.

* * *

 _ **Thursday morning.**_

Topanga again walks toward her office when she comes across a peculiar sight: Leah, sitting at her desk face down with her head resting on her crossed arms. Topanga can't see her face, and she's pretty sure she knows why.

"Leah?"

"She's not in right now," Leah's voice was hoarse and cracking, but she didn't move a muscle, "Wait for the beep and leave a message."

Topanga crosses her own arms and waits for the beep, but none ever comes.

"Leah..."

"I said, 'wait for the beep'!" replied Leah, her head still resting on her arms.

"Leah, we need to talk."

"About **what**?"

" **You** know."

Leah slowly raises her head and looks at Topanga. Like John's, Leah's eyes also looked swollen, just as much from crying as from fatigue.

"Why did I let Darby talk me into going to that dance class?"

"Actually, it was **Maya'** **s** idea," said Topanga, "But we all went along with it."

"Oh, no.. Don't tell me they…"

"Darby wasn't crazy about the idea at first, but Maya talked **her** into it, too."

Leah grunts loudly as she plunks her head back down on her arms which were still crossed on her desk. "Great," she said, "No **wonder** my **own daughter** is upset at me."

"Or, maybe she's just **troubled** because she didn't know about you and **John**." Topanga suggested.

Leah again raises her head. "What did John tell **you** after I left?"

" **Nothing**. He took off right after **you** did."

Leah slumped back in her chair and looked down at the floor.

"But his **sister** cleared up a couple of things." Topanga added.

"Like **what** things?"

"Well, for one thing, she figured out that you and John were **engaged** years ago."

Leah looks up at Topanga, but when her eyes slowly trailed down to the floor again, Topanga knew she was on the right track.

"...and that you left him with no explanation."

Leah continued looking at the floor.

"Leah, What happened between you two?" she asked quietly, "Why **did** you leave him? Did he **do** something to you?"

"No…" said Leah, slowly shaking her head, but then realizing the question she answers again more emphatically, " **No!** **God** , no! It wasn't **John's** fault that I left."

"Then **what...** **happened**?" Topanga was more concerned as she asked.

Leah heaves a heavy sigh. "Can we talk in private?"

Topanga sizes Leah up for a moment.

"Please?" Leah quietly adds.

Topanga nods, then unlocks the door to her office and gestures for Leah to walk in first while she follows her...

* * *

John's office is right across the hall from the studios of WAHS, the new high school radio station. The entire refurbished wing of the high school was formally named the Media Arts Department, but students and faculty alike soon took to calling it the "Mad House", and everyone seemed to like the name because it quickly fit like a pair of comfortable shoes.

John was sitting in his office multitasking while on his phone when Riley and Maya walked up to the open doorway. They stood there quietly while John continued talking on the phone. He was unaware they were there until he hung up, but even after he noticed they were there the two remained standing in the doorway in silence.

All John could do is stare back at the two girls for several seemingly long seconds before he couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Well, don't **say** something. Just **stand** there." said John sarcastically.

Riley and Maya exchanged an uncomfortable glance for a second before slowly walking up to John's desk, and then Maya spoke up.

"Uncle John, I just wanted to..."

"Hold it."

John held up his hand to stop Maya. "Don't say anything else. Didn't I tell you both to wait until **I** wasn't around before you set off one of your 'crazy bombs'?"

"We didn't **know.** " said Riley.

"I'll take **full responsibility** for **all** of this, Uncle John," said Maya, "I'm **sorry**."

"Well, your mother **told** me it was your idea, Maya."

"It **was**. It **is**."

"We don't blame you for being angry, Uncle John." said Riley.

John looked at the girls for a moment. They couldn't tell that deep down he wasn't angry- just confused. But he decided to let them continue to **think** that he was angry.

"Look," said John, "I know how much you two and the others are interested in my personal life, and I get that you mean well. But what happened last night has set off an emotional high that I haven't come down from yet."

Riley and Maya look at each other. There was a long pause before John spoke up again.

"You two have classes to get to, don't you?"

"Yeah." said Maya sheepishly.

"All right then, unless you're addicted to getting detention, I highly recommend you get to **class**. This is not something I want to talk about..."

Dejectedly, Maya and Riley walk out of John's office.

"...not right **now** , anyway." he softly said to himself after they left.

* * *

"Ohhh, **Leah**!"

Topanga couldn't believe what she just heard.

"I know, Topanga, I know.. I **blew** it. I blew it **big** time."

Leah had gotten up out of one of the chairs near Topanga's desk and turned toward the door covering her eyes with her hand. She had told Topanga the whole story about how and why she left John.

"I made the **biggest mistake** of my **life** when I ran out on him."

"And you never told him why?" Topanga asked.

Leah shook her head miserably.

"You need to **talk** to him, Leah." said Topanga.

"I don't know if I can **face** him again." said Leah.

"You **have** to!"

"Topanga, I..."

"You **owe** it to him, Leah."

Leah turns to look at Topanga.

"We **both know** that." Topanga added.

* * *

 _ **Thursday afternoon.**_

"John?"

John looked up from his work to see Cory standing in the doorway of his office. He dropped the pen from his hand, then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Et **tu** , Mr. Kotter?"

"Look, John… I just wanted to..."

"Let me guess: You're here to **apologize** , right?"

"Well, I..."

"So am I to understand that **y** **ou** were in on this whole thing, **too**?"

"Not necessarily." said Cory.

"What's **that** supposed to mean?"

"The girls told me about Maya's plan."

"So you knew what they were up to."

"Yeah." said Cory sheepishly.

"Well, **that** explains why you got so jumpy when I went down to check the speaker. You thought I was going out of the gym again, **didn't** you?"

"John, none of us knew about..."

"Cory," John interrupted again, "If you're here to apologize, you're **wasting your time**. I've already heard it. Maya and Riley both came in earlier today and did the very same thing. **And** I heard it from **Katy** last **night**."

Cory heaves a sigh. "I don't know what else to say, John."

"There's nothing else you or anyone else **can** say," said John, "Look, you've all apologized and I forgive you, all right? And I accept that none of you knew anything about Leah. I'm not blaming any of you for trying to make my life a little less… lonely."

"That's all Maya wanted for you, John." said Cory. "And that's all that the **rest** of us were thinking about when she talked **us** into it. I just... wish we had known about her sooner."

"Well, if **I** had known what you guys were up to, I might have said something," John mused, "And then maybe everything wouldn't be so turned upside down right now."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Cory

John slowly shook his head. "I don't know," he said, "The only thing I can do right **now** is just keep going on with my own life and **hope** that some kind of solution presents itself.

"So you're going to do nothing?"

"I'm not a fixer, Cory. My mind doesn't work that way. Twenty-five years of having to get used to the fact that she was gone from my life, and **now** she's **back** , **and** just as suddenly as she **left.** You can't expect me to have an 'instant solution' for that."

* * *

 _ **Thursday Afternoon.**_

Leah walks through the front door of her apartment, and while she expected Cole to be at home, she was a little surprised to see Darby there as well. There is a nervous silence between the two of them until Leah finally speaks up.

"What are **you** doing home?" asked Leah, "I thought you'd be hanging out with Sarah at Topanga's."

Darby ignored her mother's observation and got right to the point. "Mom, why did you dump Mr. Beckett?" she asked in concern.

Leah didn't answer immediately, but she scraped up enough courage to ask, "How did **you** know?"

"Riley and Maya told me," Darby explained, "They said you were **engaged** to Mr. Beckett **years** ago."

"How did they find **that** out?"

"Maya's mom is Mr. Beckett's sister," Darby explained, " **She** was the one who figured it out,".

Leah thought she would have at least a little time to sort out her thoughts, to come to terms with her past, a past she thought she had put behind her but was now charging back like a raging river from a blown-up dam. Everyone surrounding her immediate life was demanding an explanation, and more names would soon be added to that list, but Leah was not ready for it.

"Darby, honey," said Leah, "It's a long story."

"All right, then. Tell me about it."

Leah looked at her daughter.

"I'm not going anywhere, Mom," said Darby, "I want to know."

Cole was listening from the doorway to his bedroom. He too wanted in on the conversation and joined Darby and Leah in the living room.

"I want to know, too, Mom." said Cole.

 _Here we go again,_ Leah thought.

* * *

John wheeled his way through the front door of his apartment. Frustration and confusion were the order of the evening. And it wasn't about to get any better.

" **Hey** , John."

This time it was Shawn showing up in the doorway before John could close the door. John sat there staring at his brother-in-law for a moment, just waiting for him to speak first.

"What?" John said quietly. " **You're** here to apologize, **too**?"

"Actually, no," said Shawn, "I'm just here to offer my support."

"Did **you** know?"

"Kinda," said Shawn, "But I didn't..."

"...you didn't know about Leah."

Shawn shook his head. "No, I didn't."

"Join the others," said John flatly.

"I think I already have." said Shawn.

"Yeah," said John as he wheels through his living room toward the kitchen with Shawn following., "First Katy last night, then Riley and Maya this morning, and **then** **Cory** this afternoon. They all said the same thing."

"Well, John, everyone feels pretty awful about it."

"I know that, too," said John, "But nobody has a solution."

"What about **you**?"

"What **about** me?"

"What are **you** going to do?"

"Cory asked me the same thing this afternoon, Shawn," John responded, "And my answer to you is the same: I don't know."

"Don't know **what**?' asked Topanga as she and Cory walked through the doorway which, for some reason, was left open.

"I don't know what I'm going to do about… Leah." said John.

"You haven't figured out what you're going to do yet?" asked Katy, who followed Cory and Topanga through the door.

John could only roll his eyes and throw up his hands.

"All right, **that's** it." John bellowed in exasperation. He grabs up his briefcase and wheels toward the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Katy.

"I'm going someplace to think." he grumbled.

"Where?" Shawn asked.

" **Anywhere** but **here**!" John answers curtly.

"When will you be back?" asked Cory.

"I guess, when I have a **solution**!" John growled as he wheeled his way out the door. The others are left standing there looking at one another in silent confusion.

* * *

" **That's** why you left him?!"

"Yes, honey." Leah replied sheepishly. As she did with Topanga, Leah had revealed to her kids the whole story about why she deserted John. Darby and Cole both react in shocked surprise.

"And he doesn't know?" Cole deduced.

Leah sadly shook her head.

"Does anyone **else** know this?" Darby asked.

"I told **Topanga** earlier today,"

"So what did **she** have to say about it?"

"She said I need to go and talk to John."

"I think she's right." said Cole.

"So do I." Darby chimed in.

Leah looked forlornly at her two kids, both of whom looked back at their adoptive mother with a look of concern, but also with a very faint glimmer of hope. For as long as they had Leah as their mother, Darby and Cole both saw episodes where Leah was presented with an opportunity to have someone in her life, only to let every chance drift away. Now, brother and sister both had much more of an angle on why she stayed alone all this time, and somewhere deep inside of both of them, they realize that their mom is being given another chance with one she let get away, and as she was engaged to this same man at one time, it became obvious that he was the one who mattered the most to her.

"Are you going to talk to him, Mom?" Cole asked.

Leah took a deep breath before answering.

"I don't know," Leah admitted, "I don't know when I'll get the chance to. I've just... I've got a lot to think about right now."

After a few moments of silence, Darby got up and began to walk toward the door.

"Darby?" said Leah, "Where are you going?"

"To see Sarah," Darby replied, " **I** have some things to think about, **too**." She grabs her coat and walks out the door.

 _ **END OF CHAPTER THREE**_

 _ **COMING SOON:**_

 _ **Why DID Leah abandon John years ago?**_

 _ **The answer will be revealed in the next chapter (but there is a clue in what you've already read!)**_

 _ **PLUS: A means to an end as Darby does some quick thinking and comes up with an idea of her own..**_


	4. Chapter 4- Tired Of Being Alone

**_CHAPTER FOUR_**

 ** _"Tired Of Being Alone"  
_**

 _"I'm sorry..." said one voice._

 _"I'm sorry…" said another voice._

 _"I'm sorry..." a third voice chimed in._

All John could hear in his mind's ear was an interminable chorus of now-familiar voices as he continued to wheel his way up wherever it was he was going. He had no idea where he was, and for the time being he just didn't care.

For a moment, he began to wish he had stayed in Cleveland, but he quickly brushed that thought aside. He kept reminding himself that he wasn't mad at any of them. He wasn't mad at **all** , just confused and frustrated, even more so than when the day started. Frustrated from the pain of a reopened wound from long ago that, to all intents and purposes, never really healed, and then confused because he just didn't know what to do about it.

John was convinced of what he had told Cory; he was no fixer. And this new situation, and the fact that he didn't see any way to resolve it, only reinforced that mindset to himself.

But then John began to recall something else: the same voices, but now some other things they said…

In his mind he again heard Shawn..

" ** _You_** _don't have to go it alone, John..."_

Then he heard Maya..

" _We don't want you to be alone._ ** _Nobody_** _deserves that.."_

John stopped for a moment.

" _Maybe they're right,_ " he thought to himself rubbing the back of his head. He reminded himself of the fact that it was his own choice to go into the military after he moved Mom and Katy to Arkansas. He then reminded himself that it was also his own choice to not find someone else after Leah dumped him.

But then John began to hear another voice, a voice he didn't fully recognize, and it seemed to be a little higher placed..

" _It's not good to be alone..."_

Being alone was all John knew for a long time. It's not something he was ashamed of, but he began to realize that it's not something he could be proud of, either. Maybe now it **was** time to put the pain behind him and make the effort to start over again, but the question of how still remained.

John started wheeling up the street again and began to feel a different kind of pain: dull rumblings in his stomach. He just remembered that he never got the chance to eat when he got home, and now he was beginning to get hungry. He stopped again to take in the surroundings and then looked for a street sign. He glanced toward the nearest corner and finally noticed that he was on 17th Street, and then a small restaurant nearby caught his attention. He looked at the wording over the front entrance:

 ** _Nighthawk Diner._**

(yes, the same diner Katy used to work at)

He then looked through the diner window, and when he saw that there were only two customers inside, he decided that it would be a good and quiet place to try and gather his thoughts. He wheeled himself through the entrance and helped himself to one of the open tables as one of the waitresses came over to scoot the chair away to make room for him. After placing his order with the same waitress, he opened up his briefcase, pulled out a stack of papers, and quietly went back to work.

* * *

Unbeknownst to John, Darby was walking nearby with Sarah at her side. They were slowly strolling down 17th Street as they came closer to the Nighthawk Diner.

"So.. what's **your** take on all of this?" Darby asked.

"Hard to say," Sarah replied, "I guess that news like what your mom got would hit **me** pretty hard, too, but… to ghost your fiance like that? Seems a little **extreme** to **me**."

Darby nods in agreement.

"I mean, if it were **me** ," Sarah continued, "I would like to think that I would have at least **told** him."

Darby happens to glance through the window of the Diner before they pass in front of it, where they could be clearly seen from inside; her heart almost skips a beat when she looks inside. Darby quickly holds her arm out to stop Sarah from walking past her and in front of the diner.

Sarah was naturally confused. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Shhh," Darby whispered, putting up her index finger to her own lips.

"What is it?" Sarah asked quietly.

Darby furtively points toward the inside of the Diner. Sarah peers around Darby and draws in a breath through her teeth when she sees a man inside sitting in a wheelchair, seemingly deep in thought, perusing through some papers while eating a grilled cheese sandwich. Though the girls could only see part of his face, there was no mistaking who it was.

"It's Mr. **Beckett** ," whispered Sarah, "What are we gonna do?"

Darby can't take her eyes off of John. She doesn't give an immediate answer as she is running through her mind what she should do.

"Darby?" said Sarah. It doesn't take long for her to come up with an idea.

"I think I've got it," Darby eventually replies. She turns around and briskly walks back around the corner of the diner with Sarah following close behind. When they are out of view of the front window Darby stops, takes her cellphone out of her coat pocket and hits a speed dial number.

" _Hey, Darby,"_ came the voice on the other end; it was Leah.

"Hey, Mom," said Darby quietly, "Remember you said you didn't know when you'd get to talk to Mr. Beckett?"

" _Yeah._ "

"You may have your chance **now**."

" _What are you talking about?_ "

"Sarah and I are right outside the Nighthawk Diner."

" _Yeah?_ "

Darby glances at Sarah. "Mr. Beckett is here."

There is no response on the other end.

"Mom?"

" _Did you talk to him?"_

"No, I saw him right before we passed by," Darby replied, "He didn't see us. He doesn't know we're here."

Again, a pause, but this time Darby speaks up.

"Mom, Mrs. Matthews is right. You need to talk to him."

Another long pause. Darby hears her mother heave a sigh over the phone before she finally speaks.

" _All right,"_ Leah says quietly, _"I'll come and talk to him, but I don't want_ ** _you_** _there when I do."_

"Fair enough." said Darby. "Sarah and I are right outside the diner. We'll wait for you here."

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Leah makes her way to the Nighthawk Diner where she found Darby and Sarah still standing where they said they would be. As she walked toward the two girls, Leah began to wonder if the two had been standing outside in the freezing late December cold the entire time waiting for her to arrive. She was about to scold them, but as she got closer she began to feel a gentle upward rush of warm air underneath her feet.

 _"Ohh, t_ _hey're standing on a subway grating,"_ Leah thought with an inward smirk, _"I knew I was raising some smart kids."_

Without a word, Leah looks first at Darby, then at Sarah, then back at Darby who, also wordlessly, points toward the inside of the diner. Leah peers inside and sees John in his wheelchair sitting alone at a table, upon which sat a couple of empty dishes off to one side, and three or four stacks of papers in front of him. Leah watched closely as John, red magic marker in hand, made a marking on one paper and set it on top of one of the stacks, then take a sip of whatever it was he was drinking out of his cup before reaching for another paper.

Leah can't help but softly gasp again at seeing him, but now **she's** finding it difficult to take **her** eyes off of him.

"You're not going to run **away** again, are you?" asked Sarah.

Leah started to look at the girls, but then her eyes trailed down to the pavement.

"Mom," said Darby softly, " **Talk** to him."

Leah forced herself to bring her eyes back up to look at Darby and Sarah. The collective look in their eyes dictated to her that they weren't going to let her back out.

"Okay," Leah nodded in capitulation, "I'll go in and talk to him, but like I said over the phone, I don't want you two hanging around while I do."

Darby traded a glance with Sarah, and they both nodded in agreement as they both turned back to Leah.

"Okay, we'll leave." said Sarah.

"... **After** you sit down with him." Darby added.

Leah nodded in understanding. Then, after taking another look at John, took a deep breath and straightened up to her full height as she again turned to the girls.

"Okay. How do I look?" she asked, doing some quick primping.

"Fine." Darby and Sarah replied together.

Nervously, Leah gathers both girls together in her arms for a quick embrace.

"Here goes nothing." she said.

"Good luck, Mom." said Darby.

"Double for me." said Sarah.

The girls watch intently as Leah walks toward the entrance to the diner at the other end of the building. She takes one more look at the two before she quietly walks through the front door of the diner.

* * *

John is still sitting at the table when he catches a glimpse of the brunette who just walked in. When he realizes who it is he immediately stops what he's doing, but he doesn't say anything. The two stare at one another for several long and uncomfortable moments as Leah approaches him.

"Well, aren't you going to **say** something?" asked Leah.

"Actually," John replied, "I'm... just waiting for **you** to turn around and **run away** again."

"I... I deserve that." said Leah contritely.

John took another long look at the woman standing in front of him. It was the first time in over twenty-five years that he actually got to look in her eyes. The last time he saw them before he was deployed overseas they had a sparkle of deep affection, but now all he could see in her eyes was sadness, a look that an old mistake she had once made was coming back, not so much to haunt her, but to visit on her and remind her of what she had thrown away.

"Have you, um… have you... got a few minutes?" Leah asked.

Wordlessly, John motions for Leah to give him a moment and wheels himself back from his side of the table, then slowly rolls around to pull out the chair at the other side. He then motions for her to sit down, and after she does he gently nudges it back toward the table, and then wheels himself back to his own side.

Leah couldn't help but crack a small tight-lipped smile at John's chivalry, even with his disability. But all the same, her smile was a sad one.

"You always **were** a gentleman." she said.

"Still **try** to be."

The two sit together in uneasy silence for a moment. Leah briefly glances toward the window and sees Darby and Sarah walking by before she turns back to John and finally speaks.

"John, listen," she began, "I know that saying 'I'm sorry' won't even **begin** to make up for running out on you like I did."

John takes in a breath before responding. "Well, I can't say I disagree," said John quietly, "But right now, I'm not so much interested in your **apology** as I am in your **explanation**."

Leah nods. "Because I never gave you one." she added.

John gently shook his head. "No... you didn't." he said curtly but softly.

Leah looked down at the table in shame as John continued…

* * *

As John and Leah were talking, Maya and Riley, unaware that Darby and Sarah were there just moments earlier, were themselves about to pass by the diner on the way home, but when Maya glanced through the diner window and caught a glimpse of John and Leah sitting together, she suddenly stopped, and then held out her arm to stop Riley from walking past her. Riley was naturally confused by Maya's sudden move.

"What are you doing?" Riley asked.

"Shhh." Maya pressed her index finger up to her own lips as she turned back to Riley. She then silently pointed to the window, and they both peered through watching as John continued talking to Leah…

* * *

"I've spent the last…" John needed a moment to do the math in his head, "... **twenty-five years** wondering what it was I did to you that made you run off like you did."

"You mean you think it was because of **you** that I left?!" asked Leah.

"Outside of you leaving the ring behind, what else **could** I think?" said John, his voice raising slightly, "You **never** left me a note, and you even changed your phone number so I couldn't **call** you. I never got **any kind** of explanation."

Leah is struggling to find the words to say to John as he continues.

"And your **timing** wasn't the greatest, either," said John, "You knew that I had been injured. I mean, If you had at least told me **why** you were leaving, maybe I would have understood a little better."

Leah was fighting hard to hold back a tear. She had run away from John before with no explanation, but now the time of reckoning had come, but even with goading from her boss **and** from her two adopted kids she still wasn't quite ready for it. A part of her wanted to get up and run away again, but now the part that wanted to stay was now growing stronger.

John is beginning to pick up on Leah's emotions and decides to try and help her find her words.

"Was there something wrong at home?"

"No."

"Was there someone **else**?"

" **No**." said Leah emphatically.

"Then **why**? All I want to know is **why**."

* * *

Maya and Riley couldn't hear what John was saying, but they could see the expression on his face as he spoke, and it made them both cringe.

"Bay window," she whispered to Riley, "Bay window right now." Maya grabs Riley's arm and the two quickly turn around and head home.

* * *

Back in the diner, Leah gets up and starts pacing in front of John. He remembered that Leah did her best thinking when she was walking, but even with the walking, Leah was still struggling.

"You know, John, even after all this time, it's still not easy for me to talk about this."

"Talk about **what**?"

Leah took a very deep breath and steeled herself to the truth. The words were finally coming to her, and she knew she had better get them out before she lost them again.

"Right before you were injured and got shipped home," Leah began, "I went to see my doctor, and… and he gave me some pretty upsetting news."

A very long pause as John sat in silence waiting for Leah to reveal what she had been told.

"He told me I was... **barren**."

John's brow furrowed slightly at this revelation. But for the moment Leah misread John's expression.

"He said I was unable to have children." said Leah.

"Yeah, I.. I know what that means, Leah." John said awkwardly.

"It meant to **me** that I was unable to have **your** children, John. And that alone was painful enough."

John was processing the new information as Leah continued.

"But then before I could even talk to **you** about it I found out that you gotten in a bad accident overseas and you were being shipped home. I didn't even know if you were going to **survive** , it was like… it was… it was just too much for me to **take** , John. I couldn't handle it."

"And that's why you left." said John quietly.

"And I've regretted it ever since," Leah added, her eyes now welling with tears as she sat back down across from John, "I was young, I was **stupid** , and I didn't know how to **deal** with things, let **alone** all of **this**. But I know that I made the biggest mistake of my life when I ran out on you, John. And... whatever riot act you have planned to read to me, I'm ready to take it."

John sat in silence for a moment still processing what he had just heard. There was no reason for him to doubt that Leah was being sincere, that she was finally coming to terms with what she did and why. Deep down, they both knew he had every reason and every right to be outraged, but inexplicably, and even with this new information, John could not feel so much as the slightest trace of anger in his soul.

John looked into Leah's eyes a little deeper than before. He felt something stirring inside him, but it wasn't revenge, retaliation or even retribution; it was something else. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, but he knew that at that moment, all he wanted to do was to put every last bit of the hurt behind him.

"May I ask you something, Leah?"

Leah nodded. "Of **course**. **Anything**." Leah tensed up inside, still expecting a verbal onslaught from John. But John did not raise his voice.

"What about **now**?" he asked softly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, where are you at in your life right now?"

Leah was understandably caught off guard by John's question. She pondered it for a moment while John patiently waited for her response.

"I… I think I've done all right by myself."

"Why don't you tell me about it." said John, sitting back in his wheelchair.

"Well… I'm a **paralegal** now. I've been a paralegal for about 17 years."

"Ahh, you work for **Topanga** , don't you?"

Leah nodded.

"So you and Topanga showed up **together** at the dance class last night." John deduced as Leah again nodded.

"I... went and **adopted** two kids," she continued. "Darby and Cole."

"Darby **Walker**?"

"Yeah," said Leah, "She's my daughter."

"I **know** Darby," said John, "She's one of my **students**."

Leah's eyes widened slightly at John's words. "Oh, you teach at the high school now?"

"Yeah, I just started there in September," John replied, "Darby volunteers at the new radio station, too. She never talks much about her **personal** life, though… except, of course, her boyfriend Yogi."

Leah chuckled. "Boy, **that** matchup defies all convention, doesn't it?"

John returns the chuckle as he nods in agreement. "Yeah, it's definitely a Sonny and Cher thing, all right, but.. they seem happy together. Nothing wrong with that."

Leah nods back.

"So what about... Cole, is it?"

"Yes. Cole is Darby's biological younger brother, and he's still in middle school. And they're both the light of my life."

John hinted at a smile of his own.

"So did **you**..."

"I tried," said Leah, knowing what John was about to ask, "But I could never find anyone who came close to what I had with you."

John looked down at the table processing this new information.

"What about **you**?" asked Leah.

With a deep breath, he began to tell the latest in his own life.

"You want to hear something ironic?"

Leah nodded.

"The same thing happened to **me** ," said John, " **I** dated for awhile. I tried to find someone else, but I had the same problem **you** did. None of them were **you**."

"So what did you **do**?"

"The only thing I **could** do," John answered, "I gave up on dating and just threw myself into my work. I still had my G.I. Bill so I went back to college and got a second degree in history. Eventually, I moved to Cleveland and worked in digital media for a few years."

"So how did you wind up here in New York?"

"Well, to make **that** long story short, I decided to come here for a visit last summer, one thing led to another, and now I'm teaching at the high school."

Leah's eyes began to light up. "Topanga told me about your sister. So you were able to patch things up with her?"

John nodded. "With a little help from a friend," he said, but then corrected himself, "Actually, with a **lot** of help… from **several** friends."

"Looks like you and I have a lot of the same friends." said Leah.

"And they're pretty remarkable," John added, "I just found that out recently."

Leah chuckles, and then looks deeply into John's eyes. Her lower lip began to quiver and tears began welling up in her eyes as she again struggled to find the right words.

"John... I am so sorry for running out on you. I am truly... deeply... **genuinely** sorry for what I did to you."

John looked deeper into Leah's eyes.

"I know," John replied in a near whisper, and then after a long pause added, "And... I **believe** you."

Even through her welling tears, Leah somehow managed to find a little smile as John continued.

"You know, It took a very long time to get used to what happened to me physically. And at the same time I had to get used to the fact that I got..."

"Left?" asked Leah.

" **Ghosted** ," John corrected, "I think that's the term used these days. I had my **mad** moments, I had my **crying** moments. I kept running those moments over and over again in my mind and acting them out in my time to myself, but somehow they eventually lessened."

Leah listened intently as he continued.

"I've been through a great deal of pain throughout my life, Leah. Remember I told you about what I went through when I was a kid in Oklahoma?"

"Yeah, I remember," said Leah.

"I just decided the only thing left to do was pray to God to take away the hurt. But I also prayed that maybe someday He would give me another chance with someone else. I'm just… sick and tired of **hurting** , you **know**?" said John. "I don't want to hurt anymore. And.. I don't want to pass any of my own pain onto anyone else."

"Including me?" Leah asked.

John nodded.

"Even though I deserve it?" she added.

"Even though you deserve it," echoed John. "I mean, granted, we could have **been** there for one another, we could have gotten each other through our respective pains," said John, " **And** there could have even been a chance that Darby and Cole would have become **my** adopted kids as well as **yours** , but… but I guess things happen for a reason."

"Maybe you're right." agreed Leah.

"Another thing, too..." John began to add.

Leah looked at him waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"I just realized that…"

John looked directly into Leah's eyes as he said…

"...I don't want to be **alone** anymore, either."

Leah looked a little deeper at John as he continued.

"After what happened last night in the gym, I.. I found myself doing some very heavy soul searching," said John.

"Me, too." said Leah.

"Somewhere deep inside of me, I think…" John continued, "I think I may still have **feelings** for you, Leah."

Leah's lips parted slightly at John's words. A part of her couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"And the more I think about it, the more I realize now that... I don't think I ever **stopped** ," John continued, "I guess it would explain why I could never take up with anyone else. I just had to permanently put my emotions on the back burner. You know what I mean?"

Just as Leah nodded, the jukebox in the corner of the diner started softly playing Al Green's _Tired of Being Alone_. John and Leah both look over at the jukebox, but then Leah looks back at John, who holds up his hands and shakes his head.

"I had nothing to do with that." said John.

Leah couldn't help but burst out in a chuckle, with John joining her. "I think maybe someone's trying to tell us something."

John nodded, and then glanced down at his watch and almost gasped.

"Ohh, **man** ," he said in a loud whisper, "Leah, I really hate to do this, but I have to run."

"What's up?" asked Leah as John started briskly gathering up his papers and packing them in his briefcase.

"I just remembered I have an appointment with my doctor, and I can't miss it." John replied as he took a few dollars out of his wallet to pay the bill for his meal. He slung his briefcase over the back of his wheelchair and started to back away from the table.

"Could you get the door for me?" asked John.

"Sure." agreed Leah.

John wheeled himself toward the door with Leah following, but Leah moved ahead of him to open the door so he could wheel out, the briskness of the late December breeze catching both of them full in the face. John thanked Leah as he spoke again.

"You know, Leah, I… I wouldn't mind **continuing** our conversation **later** , if you can… If you... **want** to."

John was looking right into Leah's eyes again, and for a moment he thought he could see the faintest sign of a spark beginning to return her greenish-gray pupils. Leah thought she saw the same thing looking back at her from John's dark blue eyes.

" **I** can," Leah nodded as she began to smile, "and I **do** want to."

"I think we still have a lot to catch up on," said John as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a card wallet. He took out one of his business cards and handed it to Leah. "Here's my cellphone number. Just... give me a call when you can, okay?"

Leah looks at the card, then tightens her grip on it as she looks back at John and begins to smile.

"I will. I **promise**."

John nodded with a smile.

"Maybe I'll see you later on." he said.

"Yes." said Leah.

John wheels away from her toward his appointment while Leah stands there watching after John as he pulls away. After a short distance he stops to turn around and look at Leah, who is still standing there watching him. He nods as he holds up his hand to wave to her, and Leah waves back before John turns and wheels away...

 ** _END OF CHAPTER FOUR_**

 ** _NEXT:_**

 ** _Another door has opened. The truth has now come out. But where do John and Leah go from here?_**


	5. Chapter 5- Something Else To Think About

**_CHAPTER FIVE_**

 ** _"Something Else To Think About"_**

"I just wish it could have happened under better circumstances." said Maya.

On their way back home to the Bay Window, Maya and Riley decided instead to go to Topanga's bakery. The two each ordered a smoothie and went to sit in their usual place, the sofa near the entrance.

"Maya, you didn't know," said Riley, " **None** of us had any way of knowing that Uncle John had had a past with Leah. Don't forget that your mom and Uncle Shawn had a rocky start, too."

"But that was **different** , Riley," said Maya, "Mom and Dad had never even **met** before that night when he went to see her at the diner. Uncle John and Leah were **engaged** **years** ago."

Riley could tell she wasn't getting through to Maya, but then she remembered something Maya mentioned last night.

"You talked about Pandora's Box yesterday, Maya."

"Yeah. So?"

"So you know the story. We read it in Literature class."

"What about it?"

"When Pandora tried to close the box there was still one thing left in it. Remember what it was?"

Maya thought for a moment, but then rolled her eyes when she remembered. "Yeah, I remember." she said sheepishly.

" **Hope**. **That** was the one thing that was left, Maya."

"Yeah. Hope. Where have I heard **that** before?" said Maya sarcastically, "Like it's just going to come bursting through the doorway and say, 'Here I am!'"

" **Ladies!** "

Farkle bellows his signature entrance as he jumps through the door, with Lucas right behind him entering in a similar fashion.

 **"Here we are!"** shouted Lucas.

Right behind both of them are Smackle and Zay carrying a boom box which begins loudly playing Kool the Gang's _Ladies Night._ The four begin dancing about the room to the music, but when they look at Riley and Maya still sitting forlorn they all stop.

"Man, what's **with** you two?" Zay asked as he shut off the boom box, "You're like a tidal wave on a **bon-** fire." said Zay.

"Sorry, guys," said Maya, "But we're... still..."

"...still upset about what you told us happened last night at the dance class?" asked Lucas as he sat down next to Riley.

The two girls nodded.

"You two have been **brooding** about this **all** **day** ," said Farkle.

"Yeah, **I've** never seen you two look so **down** before." Smackle added.

"I think Maya is more upset because Uncle **John** is so upset." Riley mused.

"How do you know he's still upset?" asked Lucas.

"Because we almost walked past him at the Nighthawk Diner." answered Riley.

"While he was yelling at Leah." Maya added.

" **He** wasn't yelling at Leah." protested Riley.

"He looked **angry** enough to be." Maya replied.

"Well... at least they're **talking** now." Zay reasoned.

" **I'm** just hoping there's something left of that diner by the time he's **through** yelling at her." Maya mused.

"You know, Maya," said Lucas, "In the short time we've gotten to know him better, Mr. Beckett doesn't strike me as the kind to lose his temper."

"Unless he has a good reason," Maya added. "And he **has** a good reason."

"I agree with Lucas." said Smackle.

"So do I." said Farkle.

"Me too, man," Zay added, "Beckett's all right in **my** book."

" **I** think it takes more of a man to **not** lose his temper." said Lucas.

Maya contemplated Lucas' words for a moment.

"Even if he **does** have a good reason." Riley added.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Maya said.

"Hey, guys."

The six all look toward the entrance to see Darby, Sarah and Cole walking in.

"Hey." everyone chorused together as the three new inhabitants join them.

"Well, Mom is at the Nighthawk Diner talking with Mr. Beckett," said Darby.

"How did you know **that**?" asked Maya.

"Darby and I spotted Mr. Beckett there," explained Sarah, "So she called her mom and told her to come up and talk to him."

"You **ma** **de** your mother go?" asked Riley.

"Yeah, I did." said Darby proudly.

"How did **you** know they were there?" Sarah asked.

"Apparently, the same way **you** guys did," Maya replied, "Riley and I almost walked past the diner while they were… talking." Maya replied.

"Maya, they weren't yelling at each other." said Riley.

"Noo, Uncle John seemed to be doing enough yelling for **both** of them." said Maya.

"He **wasn't yelling**." Riley protested.

"He might as **well** have been," said Darby. " **I** wouldn't have blamed him."

"What are you talking about?" asked Maya. The others were all a little surprised that those words came from Darby.

"You mean you guys don't know the story yet?" Darby asked.

" **What** story?" asked Riley.

"About why Mom ran out on Mr. Beckett..." Cole replied.

Darby and Cole immediately had everyone else's attention as they began to tell about what they know…

* * *

Leah was in no hurry, to get back home after talking to John. His words were still echoing in her mind…

" _I think I may still have feelings for you, Leah... I don't think I ever stopped..."_

It went without saying that she felt enough for John when she let him put the ring on her finger all those years ago, but Leah had to force herself to compartmentalize her own feelings for John when she ran away. For a long time afterward, she kept trying to reassure herself that she was doing both of them a favor by leaving him. She had convinced herself that, even in his condition, John wouldn't want to be with a woman who was unable to bear his children, but now she can't wrap her mind around the fact that, despite what she had done, the same man she so abruptly deserted long ago just said in essence that he still loved her.

How **could** he?

Why **would** he?

And even though he had every reason in any universe to be angry with her, he wasn't.

She couldn't understand it.

But there it was.

And on top of all of that, there was the revelation that John went through the same situation that Leah did after she ran away.

Leah tried to find someone else, but couldn't.

 **John** tried to find someone else, but couldn't.

So they both gave up.

John may not have been feeling any anger in **his** soul, but now **Leah** was, and lots of it; she was furious at her younger self for letting her imagination run away with her emotions. From the moment she deserted him she had regretted it, but now she was regretting it even more, not just because of the pain it caused John, but the confusion it was now causing her family and friends.

Leah was just a few blocks away from her apartment when she stopped. She began to realize she wasn't quite ready to talk to her kids about it just yet, and suddenly she felt that she needed to talk to someone else first.

One of her closest friends, who also happened to be her boss.

She turned in a different direction and started toward Bleecker Street.

* * *

"So she **ghosted** him?"

Maya was the first to speak up after a few moments of silence. Darby and Cole had told Maya, Riley and the others what their mom had told them.

"Because she found out she couldn't have his kids?" Riley added.

Darby and Cole both nodded. "And she never told him." Cole added.

Everyone else was shaking their heads.

"Man, that's **out** there." Zay remarked.

"I guess we shouldn't have told you guys," said Darby, "But... it was just too much to keep to ourselves."

"Well, it certainly explains why Uncle John is so upset." said Riley.

"It also explains why Mom ran out of the gym so fast last night," Darby added, "I guess she never expected to see him again."

"Well, Uncle John was pretty shocked, too," Maya observed, "And then we **all** got shocked when it came out that he and your mom had been engaged."

"Looks like **everyone** has had more than their share of surprises lately." Cole observed. Everyone had to nod.

Another silence before Lucas spoke up.

"Well, there's really nothing more **we** can do now except wait and see what happens **next** ," he said. "I'm gonna go ahead and take off."

"Yeah, we should, too," Farkle added, "We'll see you guys tomorrow night."

Goodbyes are exchanged as Lucas, Farkle, Smackle and Zay all walk out of Topanga's, but Darby, Sarah and Cole remain there with Maya and Riley for another moment.

"We should probably be getting home, too." said Sarah.

"That makes **five** of us," said Riley.

"Mind if we all walk together?" asked Maya.

* * *

Now, John finally knew the truth.

He spent the last twenty-five years believing that getting ghosted by Leah was somehow his own fault. Leah's long-awaited explanation has left him absolved, but he felt neither better nor worse from this new information.

He lived alone with his damaged heart- a heart so broken that he himself had sealed it shut because he felt that nobody else could fix it. But he didn't realize that while the anger was gone, all of the hurt he felt was still there hidden behind the seal he created twenty-five years ago, unrevisited, but also unabated...

Until now.

Now the seal was being undone by, of all people, the one woman who had so broken his heart in the first place.

John was sitting on an examination table at the hospital, his stumped legs being examined by Dr. Joe Kelly, an old military friend whom John had not seen in some time.

Joe was about twenty years older than John, and had once been one of the first paramedics in Los Angeles beginning in the early 70s, but he then went to medical school and got his doctorate in emergency medicine, and later went into the military and was stationed in the Middle East where he and John met and became close friends.

John had filled Joe in on the latest in his life: besides reconciling with his sister and moving to New York from Cleveland to start his new teaching career, he told Joe of his surprise re-meeting with Leah orchestrated by his niece. Joe continued examining the stumps as John brought him up to date.

"Wow." was all Joe could say to this new information.

"Yeah," John agreed, "No **kidding** , wow."

"And they didn't know about Leah?" asked Joe.

"Not a one of them."

"So did **you talk** to Leah?"

"I didn't get a chance to last night. She ran off just moments after she saw me."

"So **no** , then."

"Not last **night** , no," John replied, "But I **d** **id** earlier this evening, right before I came here." said John.

"Oh. Well, what'd she have to **say**?" Joe was more curious.

John took a deep breath before answering, "Well, for one thing, she admitted she made a big mistake leaving me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, and **then** she finally told me the reason **why** she left:"

John paused for a moment before continuing, but Joe was anxious.

"Someone else?"

John shook his head.

"She told me that right before I was injured and got shipped home she found out she was barren."

"Barren?!"

"Yeah. She said she couldn't handle the idea that she was unable to have our children, so... she just ran off."

"Wow again." Joe mulled. "You think maybe she dumped you because she thought **you** might dump **her**?" Joe asked.

"I hadn't **thought** of **that**. But now that **you** bring it up, I suppose it's possible.." John shrugged.

"So what are your thoughts on it **now**?" asked Joe.

John gathered his words before replying. "You know, I spent **years** thinking it was **my** fault that she left, and **now** all of a sudden I find out it **was** **n't**."

"You're angry about it."

"I **should** be," John replied.

"You're **not** angry about it." Joe backpedaled.

John shook his head.

"How come?"

Again a pause before John quietly replied. "A **couple** of reasons, actually. **One** , because I had trained myself to get over the anger..."

Joe nodded in response as John conrinued.

"...and **two** , because I... I think I still have **feelings** for her."

Joe stopped his examination for a moment and looked at John. "You **think** you do?"

"I don't think I ever stopped." said John, "I started thinking about some things that my niece and brother-in-law said to me, and then I began to realize that I don't want to be **alone** anymore."

"Well, you know what?" said Joe, "I think you've given yourself something **else** to think about."

"What do you mean?"

"This is something I noticed about **myself** a few squares back," said Joe, "I'm getting too old to be holding grudges anymore."

John began to realize that he was getting closer to that point, too.

"Don't get me wrong, though," said Joe, "I'm not minimizing what she did, and I can understand the hurt you've still got to be feeling, but... like it or not, she's back in your life again, John. You said that she admitted her mistake, and from what you've told me, it seems like you want to **forgive** her."

"I **do** want to forgive her, Joe," said John, "It's just that... I can't... bring myself to forget."

"Well, who said anything about forgetting?"

John looked at Joe with confusion. "Come again?" he asked.

"I don't think we're **meant** to forget things like that. It's just one of those things you put down to experience."

John immediately rolled his eyes at Joe's words. " _Sad Sweet Dreamer_ ," he quipped.

"Hey, that's one of my wife's favorite songs," said Joe, " **and** one of **mine**."

"Ohh, please," John groaned, "Every time you and I had to drive somewhere together the first song **you** would put on was _L.A._ _Woman_ by the Doors."

"Well, I never heard **you** complaining."

"You had that thing turned up so loud that you wouldn't have been **able** to hear me complaining, even if I **had**."

The two shared a laugh as John continued, echoing the same lyrics Joe used. "'Just one of those things you put down to experience'," he said, "And you waited **all these years** to use those words as advice for a broken-hearted friend."

Joe couldn't help but let out another chuckle, which caused John to laugh again.

"Didn't you just say you don't want to be alone anymore?" asked Joe.

"Yeah."

"Well... there you **go**."

For a moment John pondered the words, his **own** words echoed from his doctor, but Joe wasn't finished..

"Like I said, You've given yourself something else to think about. You've given yourself a **choice** , man," said Joe, "You can either continue to keep that bad taste in your mouth and hold on to that grudge, and from what I can tell, you don't **want** to do that... **o** **r**..."

John's eyes met Joe's again.

"...You can give Leah another chance."

* * *

"I should be getting home," Katy said to Topanga in the Matthews' kitchen. "Shawn is probably on his way, and I've got some things to get ready for tomorrow night."

"Okay, we'll see you tomorrow then." said Topanga. Just as the words left her lips there was a knock at the door of the Matthews apartment.

" **I'll** get that." said Katy as she waddled toward the door. She opened it, and found an older, but still attractive brunette woman standing in the doorway. Both of them had apprehensive looks on their faces as neither one recognized the other.

"Can I help you?" said Katy.

"I hope so," said Leah, "I'm here to see Topanga."

" **Leah** , is that **you**?" said Topanga.

"Yeah, it's me."

Katy was caught a little off guard, and her eyes widened slightly at the revelation that the woman standing in the doorway was her brother's one-time fiance.

"Leah **Walker**?"

"Yes."

"Uhmm, I don't believe we've **met** ," said Katy, extending her hand to Leah for her to shake. "I'm Katy Hunter, John Beckett's sister."

"Ohh," said Leah with a hint of surprise as she shook Katy's hand, but then looked at her with some trepidation. "Well, then you probably already know about **me**." Leah added.

"Not really," replied Katy, "Just your **name**."

"And... maybe the fact that I was engaged to your brother years ago?"

"Well, yeah..." Katy admitted.

"And that I left him without any explanation?"

"Yeah, that, too.."

"C'mon in, Leah." said Topanga as she walked past the couch. Leah walked through the doorway and into the living room with Katy still at the door watching after her.

"So have you talked to John yet?" asked Topanga.

"Yes, I have. I just... left him. He had a doctor appointment he couldn't miss."

"So how did it go?"

Leah took a deep breath as she looked at Topanga, but then she turned around to look at Katy who was just starting to walk out the door.

"Uhm.. Katy, Wait!"

Katy stopped and turned around to look at Leah.

" **You** can **stay** if you want to." said Leah.

"Do **you** want me to?" asked Leah.

Leah nodded. "Yeah. I think **you** should probably hear this, too."

Katy looked at Leah with a hint of skepticism and then looked to Topanga, who only does a face shrug. Katy hesitated for a moment, but then obliged Leah's request.

"Okay." Katy said, then closed the door and waddled back toward Leah and Topanga, and all three of them sat down at the kitchen table.

"So, what happened?" Topanga asked again.

"Well... I finally told John why I left him."

"How did he take it?" asked Topanga.

"A lot better than I expected," said Leah.

Katy and Topanga each sized up one another's reaction as Leah continued. Topanga had a look of surprise while Katy showed no emotion at all.

"I expected him to yell at me about it... But he **didn't**. He didn't seem angry at **all**."

"Wow." said Topanga quietly.

"And that's not even the **half** of it," Leah continued, "He..." her voice began to crackle "...he even said he thinks he still has **feelings** for me."

Topanga and Katy both raise their eyebrows in surprise at hearing this bit of news.

"Well... how do **you** feel about **him** now?" asked Topanga.

Leah was slow to give an answer and avoided Topanga's and Katy's eyes when she finally replied.

"I'm not sure." She finally said.

"How come?"

"Well, for one thing, because I don't really **know** him anymore," she explained, "I... I mean, after all, it's been over twenty-five years since I saw him last; **more** than that, actually."

"So... why **did** you leave him, Leah?" asked Katy.

Leah looks at Katy, then at Topanga in confusion.

"You didn't tell her?" Leah asked.

Topanga shook her head. "It's not **my** story to **tell**." she replied.

Leah nodded in understanding as she turned back to Katy and gave her the whole story. As she finished, she looked down toward the table in shame.

"I overreacted," said Leah, "And it was the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life."

"And she never told John why." Topanga added.

"Until tonight?" Katy remarked.

Leah nodded.

"I decided to come here and hopefully get some input from you," said Leah to Topanga, " **and you** since **you're** here..." she added to Katy.

"On what John is like now?" asked Katy.

"Yeah."

Katy exchanged a quick glance with Topanga before she responded.

"Well, I don't know if I'm the person to talk to about that, Leah, because I'm just getting to know him myself," she said. "We weren't that close back in the day."

"Yeah, I know about that," said Leah, "But **you** still know him better than **I** do."

"Maybe right **now** we do," said Topanga, "But **you** knew him well enough to be **engaged** to him."

"Yeah, but that was **then** , Topanga," said Leah, "This is **now**. What do I do **now**?"

"Simple. You get to know him **again**."

Leah gazes at Topanga as her words sink in.

"Didn't you say John said he still had feelings for you?" Katy asked.

"Yeah." Leah replied hesitatingly.

"How do **you** still feel about **him**?" Topanga repeated her question.

Leah had to forestall her answer. On the surface, she still wasn't sure, but Topanga knew how to get past the outer layer.

"Deep down." she added.

Leah took a deep breath before giving her answer.

"I... I've been doing a lot of soul searching since last night," said Leah, "Everything that I thought I had forgotten had all come back with a vengeance when John and I bumped into one another. I hated myself for what I did to him, but after tonight I hate myself even **more**."

"Why?" asked Topanga.

"Because I wasn't expecting John to be so forgiving."

"Well that's a **good** thing, isn't it?" asked Katy.

"Well, **sure** it is," Leah replied, "But..."

"You're scared." Topanga deduced.

Leah sighed loudly.

"You're scared that John won't give you another chance," Topanga added.

"He told me tonight that he didn't want to be alone anymore," said Leah, "And the more I think about it, the more I realize... that... **I** don't want to be alone anymore **either**. "

"I know how you feel," said Katy, "But... I also know how **John** feels."

Katy had more of Leah's attention as she continued.

"After my first husband deserted me and Maya, I shut **my** heart down, **too**. There were times that **I** got tired of being alone, but then that fear of getting my heart shattered again would come back, and so I stayed alone."

"You were scared, too?" asked Leah.

Katy nodded. "Until I met Shawn," she added.

"Your boyfriend?"

" **More** than that now," Katy corrected, smiling as she held up her left hand with the wedding ring that Shawn eventually gave her. "And **then** he became Maya's new dad when he adopted her."

Leah's eyes began to light up as she remembered that she was the one who helped Topanga draw up the papers for Shawn to adopt Maya. And then her eyes began to light up even more when it suddenly occurred to her that John could actually become a father for Darby and Cole. But then she realized that she was overreaching a bit.

"You know, Leah," Topanga began, "When Maya talked us into the idea of having you and John meet, Katy and I gave her and the other girls some advice: We told them not to expect anything to happen right away."

" **If** it did at **all**." Katy added.

"What we're saying.." Topanga added, "..is don't force any issues. Give **John** a chance to give **you** a chance."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Topanga, Katy or Leah, the girls, Riley, Maya, Darby and Sarah, with Cole, had arrived back at the house, climbing through the bay window. They had overheard some of the dialogue between the three mothers and decided they wanted to hear more, so they crept as close as they could to the doorway without being seen or heard to listen to the discussion coming from the kitchen.

Without a word, they had walked back into Riley's bedroom and sat down in the bay window in silence for a few moments.

"Welp, there's your hope." Riley finally spoke up, directing her words at both Maya **and** Darby.

"Pretty **small** hope." Darby remarked.

"But at least it's **there**." said Cole. Darby and Maya exchanged glances with one another as they all nodded.

"Here's to more **of** it," said Sarah as she held out one of her hands in front of them with the pinkie extended. All of the others, including Cole, extended one of their pinkies to join Sarah's in a gesture of anticipation.

* * *

 _ **END OF CHAPTER FIVE**_

 **NEXT:** Will Leah take Topanga and Katy's advice and let John give her another chance? Will John **give** Leah another chance? (Concluding chapter next)


	6. Chapter 6- Full Of Surprises

_**CHAPTER SIX**_

 _ **"Full of Surprises"**_

 ** _New Years Eve_**

'New Years Eve Night Fever' began in earnest in the high school gymnasium. The turnout was even bigger than the attendance at the dance class Wednesday night, and bigger than most of the faculty expected. Students showed up with their dates, while some of the parents showed up with **their** dates, many of them wearing wacky outfits that almost looked like they came straight from the pages of any 70s magazine. Most of the faculty were surprised, not just at the turnout, but also at the creativity and time it had to have taken most of the party goers to make their costumes.

John, still in his wheelchair, was cosplaying as Steve Martin from his _Wild And Crazy Guy_ stand-up days wearing a white three-piece suit with black tie, replete with a phony arrow-through-the-head prop with fuzzy white bunny ears. With help from Zay who was dressed as J.J. from _Good Times_ , John was mixing it up as the DJ and party host. He was playing plenty of disco music, songs like the Bee Gees' _Jive Talkin'_ and Jimmy Bo Horne's _Dance Across The Floor_ , but he was also throwing in more recent tracks that had a retro feel, songs like Mark Ronson's _Uptown Funk_ and Can't Stop Won't Stop's _Scrape The Sky_ , and the crowd loved it.

Cory was again in his Mr. Kotter outfit, wig, mustache and all, while Topanga decided to straighten her own hair and wear aviator-style glasses to look like Kotter's wife Julie. Shawn and Katy showed up wearing matching buckskin jackets and made themselves up to look like hippies. Even Auggie and Ava were there, Ava on roller skates wearing a 70s-style sequined jersey shirt with purple satin pants, while Auggie was dressed as John Travolta's character from _Saturday Night Fever_.

"Y'know," said John to Cory, "I think Auggie should have dressed as Vinnie Barbarino."

"You think so?"

"Well, **you** dressed as **Kotter** ," John pointed out, "Would have made a little more sense, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Cory said as he nodded in agreement.

"But no matter **what** channel you're on, you can't deny he's got a way with the women." John added.

Cory had to chuckle, but with a hint of a chagrin. "Ohh yeah. No argument there."

But in the midst of all the revelry, John's mind was still processing everything he had found out in the last 36 hours. It was a load off of his mind to finally know that getting left by Leah wasn't his fault, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Joe was right: John had given himself something else to think about, and he couldn't and didn't want to stop thinking about it.

He didn't want to be alone anymore.

He was willing to give Leah another chance.

And deep down, he was hoping to give her that chance soon, but he was willing to wait a little longer, as long as it took.

"Hey, Mr. Beckett," said Zay, "As soon as this song is over, would you cue it to me over on stage?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot," said John, "Contest time, right?"

"Yep," said Zay, "And you 'memba that thing that Maya and them were talking about? That 'something special' **they** were going to do during the dance?"

John had to think for a moment, but quickly remembered. "I kinda remember, yeah."

"Well, they're gettin' ready to do that pretty soon, too."

"Have **you** got any idea what they're up to?"

" **No** , man," said Zay, "They said if they told me they'd have to **kill** me."

"Ohh yeah. I remember now. I heard Riley say they'd kill you with **kindness**."

"Eughh!" Zay again shudders at the thought as he turns and makes his way to the stage at the other end of the gym.

The song faded out, and John and Zay got the costume contest going. Several different contestants got up on stage to show off their attempts at their retro fashions, including Darby and Yogi, who decided to dress up as Sonny and Cher, and even sang _I Got You Babe_ , which got a huge laugh and ovation from the crowd.

Suddenly, a voice yells over a microphone hidden behind the curtain...

 _ **"ALL-LL-L-L-L RI-I-I-IGHT,** ABIGAIL ADAMS HIGH SCHOOL! __YOU-U-U-U WANTED THE **BEST,** YOU-U-U-U GOT **US INSTEAD!** A **FACSIMILE** OF THE **HOTTEST BAND** IN THE WORLD- **KI-I-I-I-ISSS!"**_

The curtain quickly parts, and smoke bombs explode as what looks like four students began playing along with Kiss' _Shout It Out Loud._

Cory, Topanga, Shawn, Katy and John find one another at the DJ booth as the four Kiss Wannabes continue lip-synching to the crowd. All of the grownups are smiling and shaking their heads.

"They're putting on quite a show up there!" Katy remarked.

"For lip-synching, yeah, they're doing pretty good." John added.

"What **is** it with kids these days?" Shawn asked.

"Hey, as long as they're listening to a lot of the music **we** listened to," John answered, "They should be just fine."

"Have you figured out who's who, John?" asked Katy.

"Well, I picked out **Maya** right away." John immediately answered, pointing to Maya dressed in Gene Simmons' "demon" character. "She didn't even dye her hair."

"The Spaceman was pretty easy to spot, too," Topanga added.

"Farkle." said Cory. Everyone else nodded.

" **I'm** not quite sure who the **Star** Child is, though," said Katy, pointing to the one dressed as Paul Stanley. "That doesn't look like a star over his eye, it looks more like the state of Texas."

Topanga and Cory lock eyes on one another. "Lucas!" they both chorus together.

John shifted his attention to the one on the drums dressed as Peter Criss, and only then noticed a discrepancy.

"Why is the Cat Man wearing purple makeup?"

Topanga's eyebrows raise as it hits her like a bucket of purple paint. "Purple makeup?" she echoed.

"Purple **cat**?" Cory asked.

"Riley?!" Topanga said in disbelief.

"What?" said John.

"That **is** Riley!" Shawn exclaimed.

"Are you **kidding** me?" said John. They all share a hearty laugh.

The band was halfway through their first song when Zay came up alongside of John.

"I was told they're gonna do one more song. I think it's _Rock And Roll All Nite_." said Zay.

"Well, that should give me enough time to do a quick change."

Just as he excuses himself wheeling himself out through the side door, Topanga, out of the corner of her eye, noticed a shadow lurking in the entry hall outside the main doors the gym through the side door. From the movements and body english, it doesn't take her long to figure out who it is. She excuses herself and walks out to the entry hall.

"Leah?"

"Hey, Topanga." said Leah quietly.

"What are you doing?" Topanga asked.

"What does it **look** like?"

"Well, I can **see** you're lurking in the shadows, Leah," replied Topanga, with tongue firmly in cheek, "But why are you even **out** here? How come you haven't come in the gym?"

"I... I don't..."

"You don't want John to see you?" Topanga deduced.

"No. Not yet."

"Why?"

"I... don't want to be a distraction for him."

It took a moment for it to register in Topanga's mind. "You're still scared." she said.

Leah nodded sheepishly. "I just need a little more time, Topanga. I'll be all right."

Topanga sizes up Leah for a moment, but then nods in understanding. She begins to walk away, but Leah gently grabs her arm.

"Don't tell anyone else I'm out here, okay?"

"Okay."

John wheeled himself back into the gymnasium just as the Kiss Wannabes were finishing their second song. Only this time, instead of wearing the white Steve Martin outfit, John had changed into a black suit and tie and carrying a matching fedora in his lap, and a pair of Ray-Ban clip-on sunglasses in his pocket, looking like one of the Blues Brothers. He makes his way up the ramp to the stage as the crowd was cheering. John himself was clapping until he tipped one of the microphone stands over so he can talk into the mic.

"C'mon, you can do better than that!' John egged the crowd to applaud again, louder, which they did.

"Not bad," he said to the Wannabes nodding, "Not bad at all!"

"Thanks, Uncle John," said Maya.

"You really took us all by surprise, you know."

"That was the whole idea!" said Riley.

"Yeah, I figured that," said John, "But there are still some more surprises to come," he continued, directing his attention to the audience, "And I'm going to unveil two of them right now as I... as I..."

John began struggling with the microphone stand as it wouldn't stay in its place. he started to show some exasperation with it until he finally rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Well, sheesh, these things have a mind of their own," he said, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

He set the microphone stand back upright. And then, eyes widened, jaws slackened, and eyebrows raised at what John did next. He set his wheelchair brakes, grasped the tops of the arm rests, and slowly pushed himself upward until he was standing on his feet.. His new prosthetic feet!

Students and grownups alike reacted in surprise and then exploded in applause at what seemed like a miracle. Feigning a confused look on his face, John looked at the crowd and then turned to the others on stage who, through their heavily made-up faces, also looked happily surprised as they too applauded.

"What?" John shouted as the applause died down. But then he looked down at his shoes and, again pretending, put a chagrin on his face.

"Okay, okay... You got me." said John as the audience laughed.

From the hallway, Leah's eyes also widened as she saw John stand up. She suddenly began to recall the last time that she saw him standing at his full height, and just as suddenly, she began to remember all of the reasons why she fell in love with him in the first place. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth, and despite a tear coming to her eye she couldn't help but smile as the tiny sparkle in her eyes began to grow.

"Well, enough of my 'stand-up' routine," said John, "Now let's bring some **real** talent out here. First of all, I give you the man who had the best selling live double album of the 70s... **And** he's getting ready to start up his farewell tour in 2020, Ladies and gentlemen... the one and only... **Peter Frampton!** "

There was a little more applause from the older party goers than the younger ones, but everyone still banged their hands together when Frampton appeared on stage.

"Welcome back to New York, Peter!" said John, shaking Peter's hand as he approached.

"Good to be back," said Peter, "And I'm ready to do a little rockin'!"

"Glad to hear that," said John, "But wait! There's **more**!"

"Oh, yeah!" said Peter, "I know what else you have planned."

"Oh, you do, huh?"

"Yep."

"Well, I'll tell you what, Pete," said John, "I'll let **you** introduce them." He gladly hands the mic to Peter.

"Thank you," said Peter, and then addressed the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome all the way from Florida, my good friends... **KC & the Sunshine Band!**"

Another burst of applause as KC and his band all appear on stage and take their places with their instruments.

"All right, are you guys ready?" John asked.

"The **real** question is, are **you** ready." said KC to John.

John takes a good, hard look at the band on stage, then slowly puts the fedora on his head, then clipped the Ray-Ban lenses to his glasses.

"Ohh, I brought it," said John, "Signed, sealed and delivered. Let's **do** this! **Hit** it!"

With John helping out on vocals and harmonica, Peter Frampton and KC & the Sunshine Band got **everyone** on the dance floor with their music, a mix of classic rock and disco favorites, including Stevie Wonder's _Signed Sealed & Delivered_, Frampton's own _Show Me The Way_ , and KC's own _Keep It Comin' Love._

* * *

The last minute of the old year was at hand, and John abruptly and briefly cut off the music to get everyone's attention.

"Okay, folks, this is it!" John bellowed into the mic. "We're **less than one minute** away from the new year!" John directed everyone's attention to the large movie screen hanging behind the DJ table, with a large movie projector showing the giant ball on Times Square beginning its slow drop. John then tapped a key on one of the laptops, and the long instrumental break from Steam's _Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye_ began playing over the speakers. As the vocals faded in, everyone in the gymnasium began singing along with the catchy hook.

" _Na Na Naaa-naa.. Na Na Naaa-naa.. Heyyy heyy hey.. Goooood-byyyye..._ "

John kept track of the remaining time, making an announcement every ten seconds on the zeroes...

"Thirty seconds!"

The crowd continued singing along louder and louder..

" **Twenty** seconds!"

Slowly but surely, the ball continued it's slow drop... Then, as the last seconds began to tick away, John cut off the music and started a sound effect of a timpani drum roll..

"Seven.. Six.. Five.. Four! Three! **Two!** **_One!_** "

 ** _"HAPPY NEW YEARRRRR!"_**

As a loud roaring cheer went up, balloons and confetti rained down on the party goers as John again clicked his laptop to play _Auld Lang Syne.._

* * *

 ** _New Years Day, 1:00 am_**

The party had wound down, and many of the party goers had left. There were still a few that had stayed behind, mostly to help clean up the gymnasium, but there were at least one or two couples still dancing off in the corner as the tones of Eric Clapton's _Wonderful Tonight_ wafted over the dance floor.

John, still on his new legs, was back at the DJ table disconnecting some wires and packing some equipment in their respective cases when he heard a voice approaching from nearby, a voice that began to once again ring familiar in his ears and his mind.

"I gotta hand it to you, John.. You really know how to throw a party."

John looked up to see Leah slowly strolling toward him. His eyebrows rose as a smile began to form on his face.

"Leah!" he said somewhat nervously, but happily, "Hey, it's uhm.. it's good to see you again."

Leah stopped a few feet away from him. She could also still feel a level of awkwardness that had lessened greatly from last night, but she also stopped so she could literally size him up. It had been a long, long time since she last saw John standing at his full six feet and five inches of personal glory. And as much as she liked what she saw, she still remained cautious.

"It's good to see **you** again, **too** ," said Leah with a smile, "I had almost forgotten how **tall** you are."

John was slightly taken aback by Leah's words, but then looked down at his shoes before looking back up at Leah.

"You know what?" said John, "So did I."

Leah couldn't help but laugh as John continued.

" **And** I was **this close**..." said John, holding up a finger and thumb close together for measure, "...to forgetting what it's like to wear **shoes**."

Still chuckling, Leah smiled shaking her head as she came up to the other side of the DJ table where John was packing up some equipment.

"Did you just get here?" John asked.

" **No** , no," Leah replied, "I got here about an hour before the ball drop."

"Well, why didn't you tell me you were here?"

"You were busy," Leah explained, "And I... didn't want to distract you."

John inwardly reminded himself of what he had told Katy, Topanga and Cory two nights ago...

 _"...Besides, I'm probably going to be too busy DJ'ing anyway, so I won't have time for a date..."_

From the middle of the gym floor, Cory, still wearing his 70s outfit, but now without the afro wig and mustache, noticed from the corner of his eye John and Leah talking. He decided to take some initiative and briskly walked up to the DJ table.

"Hey, **John** ," Cory was still a few steps away when he spoke, "Why don't you go ahead and take off."

John was caught off guard by Cory's words.

"What?"

"Go ahead and take off. **We'll** take care of all of this." said Cory, motioning to the equipment still sitting on the table.

"Cory, I still have to put away all of the..."

"John, it's all right. Don't worry about it," Cory said smiling as he shook his head, "You've already **done** your job. **We** can take it from here."

John gazed at Cory for a moment, then turned to Leah, then slowly turned back to Cory and sighed as he slowly nodded in agreement.

"All right, then." he said as a smile grew on his face.

"Happy New Year, John." said Cory.

"Thanks, Cor. You too."

John picked up his coat off the back of his chair and slips it on as he walks over toward Leah. " **Well**... it looks like **my** night just opened up a little bit." he said.

"I noticed," said Leah smiling. "So, you got any ideas where we could go?"

John took a moment to think. "Oh, I dunno. Maybe someplace **quiet** where we could **talk** some more." he finally said.

Leah scoffs at the idea. "Good luck finding a place like **that** in the biggest city in the world, **and** on the busiest night of the **year**." said Leah.

" **I** know a place." John said simply.

"Let me guess," said Leah with a hint of sarcasm, "Your apartment?"

" **Close** , but not quite," John replied, "But it **is quieter**..."

* * *

The door opened, and John, for the first time without his wheelchair, stepped out onto the rooftop of the apartment building with Leah right behind him. The murmur below of traffic on the street and stragglers on the sidewalk was audible, but not at all overwhelming. There were a few moments of silence as Leah took in the surroundings.

"You're right," said Leah, "This **is** quieter."

"Yeah," said John, "This is where I like to go when I need to take some time out and be alone with my mind. Just a place to get away from everything and everyone else."

"Your apartment isn't enough of a sanctuary?"

"Not **lately** it isn't," said John, "So many people have been in and out of my place the past few days I was thinking about installing a revolving door."

"I know what you mean. It gets pretty bad at **my** place from time to time, too." Leah chuckles softly as she continued looking around, then sees the nearby cast-iron bench and sits herself down, but then her eyes came to rest on John once again as he wistfully looks out over the tops of the neighboring buildings and up into the clear and chilly sky of the fresh new year.

"Doesn't **your** apartment have a rooftop?" asked John.

"Yeah, but it's used mostly for outdoor storage, so there's nowhere to sit." said Leah. Leah continued gazing at John, and when John could feel Leah's eyes on him, he turned around to see her subtly motioning for him to sit down next to her, which he eventually does, but winces a little bit at the coldness of the cast-iron seat.

"I'm not used to this," said John, "I usually have my own **pre-warmed** seat wherever **I** go."

Leah smiled. "You know, John... I- I don't want to sound as though I'm harping on things, but..."

John softly cut her off. "I know, Leah. I know. **You** don't have to apologize again."

"I still feel like I haven't apologized **enough**."

John nods in understanding. "Look... I get that you did what you felt you had to do at the time, and I get that you realized that you made a mistake, but... these things **happen**."

Leah softly sighs as she continues gazing at John, a look of gratitude growing on her face. John himself heaved a heavier sigh as he sat back in the seat.

"So... you finally got to watch me making a fool of myself in **person** , huh?"

Leah was a little taken aback by John's words. "You didn't look like a fool to **me** ," she said, "But.. how did you manage to get **Peter Frampton**? **And** KC and the Sunshine Band?"

"Ohh, we've worked together before," John answered, "I just phoned in a couple of favors, and so it went."

Leah smiled and shook her head. "You're definitely full of surprises."

"Speaking of **surprises** , that **reminds** me:" John began, "I've been meaning to ask you something.."

Leah gives him a look of permission.

"About last night," John continued, "I didn't tell **anybody** I was going to be at that... Nighthawk diner, or whatever it's called. Matter of fact, **I** just happened upon it by **chance**. How did **you** know I was **there**?"

Leah couldn't help but crack a rueful smile before answering.

"Or did **you** just stumble upon it by chance, too?" John added.

"No, it wasn't by chance," Leah answered, " **Darby** told me you were there."

John raised an eyebrow at Leah's answer. " **Darby** told you?"

Leah nodded. "She and her friend Sarah were walking by the Diner and saw you sitting inside. She called me and told me to come up and talk to you."

John processed Leah's words for a moment. "So she... **made** you come up to the diner?"

"Yeah, she did." said Leah with a slight hint of embarrassment, but then added, "And I'm... I'm **kinda** **glad** she did."

Without realizing it at first, Leah slowly reaches for one of John's hands and gently takes it in her own. He is somewhat surprised by Leah's gesture, but he doesn't resist; instead, he gently tightens his grip on her hand. It was the first time in over twenty-five years that the two actually touched one another, and the familiarity of the physical contact made them both quiver inwardly.

John took a longer gaze at Leah and let her words and actions sink in for a moment; it would take few moments for him to admit to himself that it did his soul good to hear those words, but even more so to feel her hand in his again. At that moment he could see a bigger smile in her eyes than on her face.

"After you left the diner," said Leah, "I started thinking about some of the things you said."

"What things?"

"Well, mainly about how you said you don't want to be alone anymore."

John nodded in understanding. "Y'know, it's funny you should bring that up," he softly replied, moving his gaze down to Leah's hand holding his. "One thing I **didn't** mention last night: before I even **got** to the diner **I** started thinking about some things my niece and brother-in-law said to me last **summer**."

"What did they say?" said Leah with a spark of interest.

"Just that nobody deserves to be alone," John replied, "I heard both of their voices in my mind last night."

John had Leah's full attention as he continued.

"But **then**... I heard **another** voice..."

" **Another** voice?"

"Yeah," said John, looking off into the distance, "And **this** one sounded like.. like it was.. pretty highly placed. You know what I mean?"

"Well, what did this higher voice say?"

"Basically what **Shawn and Maya** both said: 'It's not good to be alone'".

Leah contemplated John's words for a moment. "Do you think it might have been... God?"

"It's very possible," said John, his eyes trailing off toward the sky. "Only thing is that I didn't **recognize** the Voice at first, but then the more I thought about it, the more it occurred to me that..."

"That it might have been God?" Leah suggested.

A moment before John nodded as he turned back to Leah, again looking directly into her eyes. "And it was then that I realized..." He looked down at Leah's hand still holding his, and then back into her eyes again as he continued,

...that I didn't... that I **don't**... want to be alone anymore."

Leah's look at John softened.

"Well, I'll say **this** much," said Leah, "God definitely has good taste in **music**."

John quickly thought back to when _Tired Of Being Alone_ started playing on the jukebox in the diner. He broke out in a chuckle with Leah joining him.

"He's got good **timing** , too." John added.

"And it was **that** **song** ," Leah continued, "That got me thinking more about what **you** said. So much so that I decided to seek out some advice from a friend of ours."

"A friend of **ours**?" John asked, but it quickly hit him who Leah was talking about.

"Topanga." they both said together as John nodded.

" **Oh!** And I also got to meet your **sister**." Leah added.

"Ohh, you finally met Katy, huh?" John asked with pleasant surprise.

"Mm-hmm," said Leah. "You know, I think Katy is a lot like **you** , John."

"Me?"

"Sure."

"Well, I don't know about **that** ," John replied, slowly shaking his head in skepticism, "I think it's more accurate to say that Katy and I both get our personalities from our mother."

Leah nodded in understanding. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Mothers can be quite the influence."

"Yes, they can," said John, and then adds, raising his voice as he looks toward the door, "Isn't that right, 'Blonde Demon' and 'Purple Cat lady'?"

Leah follows John's eyes to the door, and after a pause, the door to the rooftop, already ajar, slowly creaks the rest of the way open and Maya and Riley, still in their makeup and costumes, sheepishly walk out. To John's surprise, Lucas and Farkle, also still in costume, walk out right behind them.

"Well, it looks like the whole gang's here." said John.

"There's more where **that** came from," said Leah. "Isn't that right, Darby, Cole... and Sarah?"

The other three walk out onto the roof and stand next to Riley and Maya. Leah cracks a smile of her own.

John crosses his arms. "Haven't you 'crazy bombers' got a bay window somewhere you could be sitting in right now?"

"Hey, give us a break," said Maya, "We just got finished killing Zay with kindness."

"Eughh." said Leah and John together.

"How did you know we came up here?" asked Darby.

"I left the hall light on and the door cracked for a **reason** , you know." John replied.

"Just in case," Leah added, "Some eavesdropping teenagers decide to crash our little conversation, which you seven have so skill-lessly done."

"Haa-haaa." The teens all chorused together.

"But, as you can see and hear," John continued, "Leah and I are having a nice time doing a little catching up."

"Well, you two have definitely reconnected." said Maya, noticing the two are still holding hands.

John looks at Leah's hand still clasped in his and then looks back up at Maya with a growing smile on his face.

"Yeah, we have." said Leah.

"And we have **you** to thank for that." John added.

Maya couldn't help but crack a smile at John's words.

"So you're not mad anymore, Uncle John?" asked Riley.

"Actually, I never **was** mad, Riley," said John, "Confused and frustrated, **yes**. But... not mad."

Their conversation was cut short by Cory and Topanga who briskly walked through the door to the roof.

"What are you guys doing up here?" asked Cory.

John couldn't help but roll his eyes again.

Leah saw the look on John's face and could somehow catch on to what he was thinking.

"Revolving door?" she whispered to him?

"I think I'd better make it a **portable** one." John replied. Leah could only shake her head.

"We were just having a private conversation," said John, "Which turned out to be not-so-private anymore," he added looking at the seven eavesdroppers.

"Didn't you guys get a text?" Cory asked.

" **What** text?" asked Maya.

"From your dad," said Topanga, "He and your mom are at the hospital."

"The hospital?!" John was suddenly alarmed. "What for?"

"We don't know," said Cory, "All we know is they're both there."

"Omigod," Maya said quietly.

Immediately, everyone began fearing the worst.

"We're heading over there now." said Topanga.

"We're going with you." said Maya.

" **All** of you?!" said Cory.

"No, just me and Riley."

"John?" said Topanga.

"Give me a moment. I'll join you." said John. He quickly turns to Leah, but before he can say anything:

"It's all right, John," said Leah, "Go with them. We'll follow you there." Cole, Darby and Sarah join Leah and nod their affirmation to her words.

John looks deeper into Leah's eyes and gives her hand a quick squeeze before he takes off with the others.

* * *

 _ **EPILOGUE**_

Cory, Topanga, John, Riley and Maya make their way into the waiting area at the hospital's Emergency Room. En route, they had worked themselves up into believing that something was wrong with Katy, but to their surprise, the first person they see is Katy, calmly sitting in the waiting area reading a magazine and rubbing her ever-growing baby bump in her midsection until she sees the others approaching.

"Sis!"

Katy looks up with a start and sees John approaching with the others behind him.

"John!" Katy says in surprise, and then notices the others. "Guys, what are you doing here?"

"We got Shawn's text," said Topanga.

"His text?" Katy was a little confused.

"Are you all right, Mom?" asked Maya.

"I'm just..."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Cory.

Katy tried to respond, "Guys, it's..."

"How far apart are the contractions?" asked Topanga.

"They're just..."

"Do we need to boil water?" said Riley.

Everyone turns to look at Riley in confusion.

"Sorry," said Riley, "I guess I'm still stuck in the 70s."

"Guys, relax," said Katy, "I'm fine. Just fine."

"Where's Shawn?" Cory frantically asked Katy.

"Right **here** , guys!" Shawn's voice called out from nearby. They all turn around and see Shawn slowly coming out of the examination area, himself in a wheelchair with an assistant carefully pushing him through the door. He is sporting a large Ace bandage on his right foot. They all gather around him as he wheels closer to where they are.

" **Well** , isn't **this** a switch." said John.

"Katy, what's going on?" asked Topanga.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you guys," said Katy, "Shawn slipped and hurt his ankle."

"How?" echoed Cory.

"There was a patch of ice where he fell," Katy explained, "But he didn't see it until it was too late."

"Yeah. I thought I heard something crack when I went down," said Shawn, "But the doctor took some x-rays and she said it was only a bad sprain."

"Ohh, thank God," said Cory.

"When Cory said you two were at the hospital we thought something had happened to **you** , Mom." said Maya.

"Shawn was the one who sent the message to me," said Cory, "But he never told us **why** you were here."

"Sorry, Cor," said Shawn, "I was right in the middle of sending the text when I was called in by the doctor, and I must have sent it before I finished it."

Everyone began heaving a sigh of relief.

"You okay, Shawnie?" asked Cory.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," replied Shawn, "I'll have to stay off of it for a few days."

"I'm glad it wasn't worse." said Topanga.

"So are you ready to head home now, Shawn?" asked Katy.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Shawn replied. "Ready for a real day off."

"I think we all could use a bit of a break," said Katy.

"I think we're all with you there, Kate." said Cory.

They all made ready to head out the door when Leah arrived. "Hey, John." Leah said.

"Hey again," said John, "We were just about to head home."

"Sorry I took so long," Leah explained, "I had to drop Sarah off, and then I left the kids at home before I got here. Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's all good." said John.

"How's Katy?"

"I'm doing fine, Leah," Katy answered herself, "It was my husband Shawn."

"Shawn?"

"Yeah. He slipped and sprained his ankle, but he's going to be fine."

Like the others, Leah was relieved. "Ohh, **that's** good to hear. We thought it was **you.** "

"Yeah, well, not tonight." said Katy.

"Not for a **while** , we hope," said Leah, pointing to Katy's midsection.

"That remains to be seen." said Katy.

They all walk out into the cold January air, going to the parking garage to get their respective cars.

"You need a ride home, John?" asked Leah.

"I rode here with Cory and Topanga," replied John, "But I don't know if they're going to have room going back or not."

" **I've** got room." said Leah.

John gives a longer look to Leah. The look in her eyes told him she was sincere, and serious.

In his own mind, John quickly went through everything that had transpired over the past two days before the ball had dropped: his niece had paired him with a woman who turned out to be his ex-fiance, a woman who had deserted him with no explanation. He had just found out the reason why she had left him so abruptly, and that it was through no fault of his own.

John could still feel the pain in his heart, but now it felt different. It wasn't so strong anymore. It was almost as though he could feel it fading, being replaced by scars.

He had just concluded to himself that he didn't want to be alone anymore. He wanted to give Leah another chance. And now, at this very moment, the opportunity to do just that was right there in front of him, and he wasn't about to pass it up. He gave a gentle nod to Leah and then turned to Cory.

"Hey, Cory, can you handle one less passenger?"

Cory glances at John, but then takes a second look at him, then at Leah, and back at John with a hint of a smile.

"Yeah, sure," said Cory, "We'll see you back at the house."

John nods as he turns back to Leah and holds up his thumb, pretending to hitchhike.

"Need a lift, stranger?" said Leah.

"I do **now**." said John.

Leah smiled at John as he extended his elbow to her. She gently took hold of his arm as they both walked toward her car...

...for the first time in a **long** time, back together again.

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **COMING SOON**_

 ** _After hosting her first solo show on the high school radio station, Riley finds herself in serious trouble when listeners hear her use profanity on the air. Riley swears she is innocent, but has no way to prove it..._**


End file.
